Everything to Me
by unknownbyhim22
Summary: When Gabriella stepped onto the beach she hadn't expected anything to come out of it. She never expected to meet Troy Bolton, the lifeguard and doer of all odd jobs around town. She soon realizes that people are not always who everyone says they are.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm late on my promise, but I did make it happen! I said this story would be out during my Christmas Break, but I just finished it today, during Midwinter break! I'm really relieved to have this story finished- it felt like it never would be done! This actually started out as a one shot, which is why chapter one is so long, but I guess I knew you'd all just yell at me to turn it into a story, so I did! **

**I hope all of you are doing well! ****Enjoy!**

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When Gabriella Montez stepped onto the white sand and rock covered beach she hadn't expected anything other than a tan and a game of beach volleyball to come out of it. She hadn't expected to meet Troy Bolton, the life guard and doer of all odds and ends jobs around town. With each barefooted step, she soon realizes that the life she's living in may not always be permanent and that people are not always who everyone says they are.

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter one

Summers are almost always the same. There's the annual family vacation, the fourth of July party, a million and one pictures of friends piled in a heap at a sleepover and the sick feeling that settles in when school's about to start. But when you finally get the chance to venture out on your own, that's when summers start to look different.

Bikini bottoms tend to get smaller as the summer tan is perfected and you're with people you only met because they shared a dorm room with you, and the music gets louder, and windows stay open longer.

From the green Jeep, summer looked a whole lot better than it usually did to Gabriella Montez. She sat in the passenger's seat; singing along to the latest summer tune with friends who shouted the words instead of sang them. Her hand was kept out of the vehicle, unlike it would have been if she was with her over protective parents, which made her smile as her thick black hair slapped her in the face.

In front of her was a car packed with guys that were going the same place she was. Each of them sat with a case of beer on their laps and the music was blaring as they competed with the girls to get the most attention.

If Gabriella hadn't taken the oath her friends made her take to relax and not worry, she would have been worried that their distracted driving was going to get them killed, but she simply ignored the nagging feeling in her stomach.

The smell of the water and the barely-there view of the beach had the girls in the back seat of the Jeep squealing with excitement, knowing that they were almost there. Waves of heat that could be seen rising from the black pavement and the sweat that was forming on Gabriella's legs made her that more excited to finally reach the lake and just as she was beginning to think the guys in the car in front of her were going to start stripping from the heat, the car was rolling into a parking spot.

"Oh, God, get me out of here, I can feel my makeup dripping off of my face!"

Gabriella laughed as she jumped out of the car, seeing her perfectly primped friends shoving their ways out of the car to get to their beach bags they had stuffed under the seats when they first got in the car.

From where Gabriella stood, she could see the mounds of people on the beach and seagulls flying in the sky above them to see if they could spot a fallen piece of food. Music was carried by the breeze from the beach and Gabriella breathed in the warm air as her friends tossed towels and beach bags around.

"Gabriella, we can't get to the beach if you're standing there staring," Monica said as she locked up her car. She had blonde wavy hair that was pushed back with the pair of sunglasses she had set there earlier to keep her bangs from blowing in her face, and she tossed Gabriella a towel and bag to carry to where the boys were already setting up.

"I'm coming," Gabriella laughed, wiggling further into her flip flops so that they wouldn't fall off when she walked on the sand.

Making her way out of the parking lot, Gabriella could see the worn down wooden fence that separated the cars from the beach and large rocks were the only support for it.

By the water's edge kids walked around with buckets, picking up what Gabriella assumed were Petoskey stones. They were all running around with water shoes protecting their feet from the rocks that lined the water's edge and from the slippery slim that sat on the tops of the rocks.

Across from the beach on the other side of Charlevoix Lake were houses hidden by tall evergreens. Some seemed to be completely made of glass because of the windows that lined the backs of houses, but Gabriella knew otherwise. Monica's summer home was one of them, tucked behind a row of trees.

"Gabriella, your spot is over here!"

Monica and the rest of her friends waved her over to a spot in the middle of the group and Gabriella shimmied against the warm towel once she was seated to get into a comfortable position. Next to her, the guys were already listening to the latest baseball game on the radio while goofing off with a partially deflated football.

"Ooh, hottie at three o'clock," Angela, a brunette swimsuit model and Monica's younger sister, said.

The four girls that were currently lying with their faces facing the sky propped up on their elbows to see who Angela was talking about. Gabriella wondered where her friends were looking, considering three o'clock was to their right, not their left. She assumed Angela only used the positioning terms because it sounded like something out of a movie.

"I don't see anyone," Gabriella said with a shrug, lying back down on her towel, uninterested in the guy who was attracting all of the female beachgoer's attention.

Monica snorted in response as if she figured Gabriella would have responded like she had. Only a few more seconds passed before the rest of the girls had lost interest and were lying back down.

"Girls, we need teams for volleyball!"

Gabriella's eyes flickered open underneath her sunglasses and saw the guys who came with them standing at the foot of their towels. They all seemed to be itching to do something athletic and frowned when the girls whined and complained about their tan being interrupted.

"Come on, Gabriella, we know you'll play," a guy she knew as Connor said, holding his hand out to help her up. Gabriella smiled at him, letting him help her up since she figured he'd eventually pull her away from her spot anyways.

His skin was pale white and he had extra sunscreen on his nose because he burned easily and as he walked next to her, the rest of the guys ran towards the volleyball net so that no one else would take their spot. Gabriella adjusted her sunglasses on her face after wiping her skin free of sweat.

Next to the court was the lifeguard tower and parked just below it were two four wheelers, and in the water across from it sat one unattended red wave runner. Crackles of a radio could be heard from inside the small shack-like tower as Gabriella walked past it towards the guys.

"First to twenty one wins," Connor yelled to the team of three on the other side of the net. Gabriella waited at the edge of the court for the ball to come her way so that she could start off the game with a serve.

"Ready?" Gabriella shouted once she had the volleyball in her hand.

"Bring it on, pretty girl; we know you have no game."

The other team laughed as Connor trash talked them back, and Gabriella smirked while throwing the ball up in the air. The sun beat down on her shoulders as she smacked the ball in the middle, sending it over to the other guys who had come along with her and her friends for their get away.

"Ooh! What was that, huh?" Connor growled at the other team with a smile as the volleyball dropped to the ground after some confused scrabbling of the three muscular guys on the other side of the net.

"Okay, okay, let's just play," Gabriella said with a laugh, adjusting the strap of her red bikini top.

The game continued on for another hour and by the time they were playing for the winning point, Monica and Angela were standing on the sidelines, cheering loudly. Gabriella stood by the net, eyeing Anthony, the guy serving for the last point. Behind her, Gabriella could hear a motor rumbling in the distance and getting louder. Just as the ball sailed over the net, the motor stopped, letting the last three moves be played in near silence.

"Connor!" Gabriella watched as the ball went behind her, over to Connor, who was currently distracted by a blonde walking by.

Gabriella's feet dug into the ground as she sprinted over to him, shoving him out of her way, she bumped the volleyball towards Garret, who went up to spike it, only for the other team to block it.

"Get it, get it!" Monica and Angela shouted together.

Gabriella fell to the sand, reaching out as far as she could to bring the volleyball back towards the sky, but it landed in the sand next to her, ending the game. She slapped the ground with her hand as the other team ran around in excitement, and Connor and Garret joined her on the ground, swearing at each other, trying to put the blame on someone.

"Connor, you just had to check out the blonde, didn't you?" Gabriella asked, looking over at him as she stood up.

"Yeah, man!" Garret said. "You suck."

Gabriella wiped off her forehead with her arm, but pulled away quickly when she felt grainy sand stick to her sweaty forehead. Looking down, she saw that her entire front side was covered with sand from when she dived for the volleyball.

Just as she was grabbing the towel that Monica rushed over to her, she was scooped up into someone's arms, sending the towel out of her grasp. Anthony was laughing in her ear as she swatted at him.

"Losers go in the water!" He shouted while racing toward the dock with Gabriella in his arms.

"Shit, Anthony, put me down!" Gabriella exclaimed, tightening her grip around his neck as he ran down the dock.

"Cannonball!"

As quickly as his voice reached her ear she was shooting through the water and chocking as it went up her nose. She wiggled her way to the surface and grabbed onto Anthony's arm tightly.

"Anthony!" She screamed as she finally opened her eyes, trying to hit him in the water, but he only laughed, sneaking his arms around her to stop her from freaking out.

"Don't worry, your hair looks fine," Anthony said with an eye roll.

"That's not what I'm worried about!"

"You're fine," Anthony said with a smile, moving his free arm side to side to keep himself afloat.

"Seriously, Anthony, let's go back, I don't like being out this far," Gabriella looked towards the shore, which caused her heart beat to quicken when she realized how small the people looked from where they were.

...

Troy Bolton unbuckled his life jacket as he walked up the beach towards the lifeguard tower, and he smiled shortly at two girls who were standing by the volleyball courts after they waved and giggled.

He jogged carefully up the six steps that led up to the tower where lifejackets and fishing equipment were thrown carelessly around.

"Rocket, man, how many times do I have to tell you to stop radioing me to tell me how many hot girls are on the beach?" Troy asked as he took his life jacket off, setting it on the ledge where his friend was staring out at the lake from.

Rocket turned towards him, showing off his crazily tousled blonde hair. His sunglasses sat crocket on his head and he set down the walkie talkie that was in his hand.

"I'm sorry, man, I just love seeing your face when I'm messin' with you," he replied, snickering as if he was the funniest person in the world. "And you should be happy I'm not busting you for being late again."

Troy scratched the back of his head, ruffling his brown hair slightly while he sighed.

"You're right, sorry; the trash took longer than I thought it would."

"Ah, well, while you reminisce about that, I'm going to make sure those girls applied their suntan lotion."

Troy shook his head, watching his friend skip excitedly down the tower stairs to talk to the girls who had waved to him a few minutes ago. Out of boredom, Troy took the binoculars from the ledge and pressed them to his face, looking out at the houses across the lake. Just as he was scanning the water, he noticed splashing water past the docks.

"I see you, I see you," Troy said to himself with a sigh. He set down the binoculars and grabbed his life jacket, throwing it over his arms as he jogged towards his wave runner.

The engine started easily as he turned the key and he pressed the gas quickly so that it made a _vroom vroom_ sound before he moved forward towards the two people in the deeper part of the lake.

...

"What the hell was that?" Gabriella asked, shoving herself away from Anthony, who just made a move on her as his way of rewarding himself for winning the volleyball game. She splashed water at him, dipping under the water briefly because she forgot to concentrate on keeping herself afloat.

"You might want to tread water, Gabi," Anthony laughed, seeing her come up from underneath the water.

"Well, if you knew me better you'd know I wasn't a good swimmer, ass hole!" Gabriella looked up at the sky to keep her head above water, but she could feel herself panicking as she spit water out of her mouth.

She lifted her head quickly though when she heard the engine she had heard when she was playing volleyball. One of the lifeguards was making his way over to them and she glared at Anthony as her way of saying _ah-ha!_ She watched the guy on the wave runner make a U-turn and eventually slow down next to them.

"Is everything okay out here?" He asked, looking down at them.

Gabriella squinted up at him, not being able to make out his face because of the sun behind him. He seemed serious, though, as he waited for an answer.

"Yeah, I was just heading back," Anthony said, dunking underwater.

Gabriella gasped, kicking her legs to keep herself above water. When she saw Anthony finally appear yards away from her, she yelled after him, but she wasn't loud enough.

"Oh my God, I'm going to die," she started to panic as she watched him walk out of the water care free.

"Um, ma'ma, do you need a ride back?"

Gabriella quickly spun around in the water, looking at the lifeguard on the wave runner after forgetting for a minute that he was there.

"Yes, please!"

Troy turned the engine off of the wave runner and swung one leg over the seat before hoping in the water himself. Gabriella closed her eyes when she was splashed with the water that followed his plummet into the water. When he floated back up to the surface, she finally saw his face.

"You can take my life jacket just in case you fall off of the wave runner on our way to shore," he said, sliding the life jacket off of him.

"What about you?"

He seemed amused by her question as she slid the life jacket on, seeming to relax as she felt herself floating.

"I'm a lifeguard, I think I'll be okay," he grinned shortly, causing butterflies to form in her stomach as she saw his white teeth wink at her.

He reached out for the life jacket and buckled the three buckles on the front of the jacket and pulled on the straps to tighten it around her body. Gabriella was highly aware of how close she was to the hot lifeguard and as he treaded water with ease, she found herself staring at his muscular shoulders and shaggy hair.

"It's a little big on you, but I doubt you'll actually fall off," he said to her, glancing into her eyes briefly before holding onto the wave runner and pulling himself up. "Take my hand and I'll pull you up."

Gabriella placed her hand in his as he held it out for her and he pulled her up with one swift movement, waiting for her to sit before turning the engine back on.

"Hold on tight," he said, turning his head to the side so that she could hear him.

"No problem," Gabriella said, putting her arms around his waist, screeching when he pressed on the gas and they pulled forward, almost knocking her off in the process. Underneath her arms she could feel his stomach move as if he was laughing and when she opened her eyes after closing them, she saw that he was smirking, and they were almost to shore.

Monica and Angela stood at the edge of the water with worried looks on their faces and when the wave runner pulled up on the shore their expressions changed at the sight of the guy Gabriella was currently holding onto.

Gabriella scouted off of the wave runner and unbuckled her life jacket as Troy pushed the roaring machine further out of the water. Monica sent Gabriella a look, which was ignored as Gabriella got her arms out of the tight life jacket. Troy walked back towards the girls and took it from her.

"Thanks for saving me…" Gabriella started with a shy smile, watching as the lifeguard took his sunglasses off and hooked them on his shirt.

"Troy," he said, sticking his hand out to shake hers. "And don't worry, it's my job."

Gabriella shook his hand, feeling her friend's watching her every move.

"I'm Gabriella," she said. "And thanks again."

She walked past him, towards her friends so that she wouldn't stick around too long and come off as clingy. After all, she had just clung onto him for a long thirty second time span and she knew he probably didn't appreciate his air supply being cut off.

"Dude, dude!" Rocket rushed toward his friend, grabbing both of his shoulders to give him a serious look. "How do you always end up saving the hotties and I'm the one saving fat dudes?"

"Maybe because you're always too busy applying suntan lotion," Troy laughed, shaking out the wet life jacket in his hands as he moved away from his friend and towards the lifeguard tower.

"Touché," Rocket said as he followed Troy up the stairs and into the tower. "You have the best timing sometimes."

"And other times I'm late," Troy said with a smirk, sinking into a pile of floating devices.

"Hey, dude, I just filled those. You're going to deflate them," Rocket said, kicking one of the inner tubes with his water shoe covered foot.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Troy said with a serious expression, which changed quickly as Rocket exclaimed something about him having a fat ass. Once Troy was up from his sitting position, he hoped up onto the ledge of the tower and let his feet dangle over the side.

Rocket joined him and twisted the whistle around his neck out of boredom.

"It's a beautiful day out, isn't it?" Troy asked, stretching his arms over his head, holding them there until he felt stretched.

"Filled with beautiful people," Rocket replied.

Troy looked over at Rocket, who was now using their set of binoculars to survey the many girls walking around the beach. Troy grabbed them from him, shoving him in the process.

"You could get into serious trouble for that," Troy said with a shake of his head.

"Oh come on, Troy, like you don't want to watch the girl you just saved apply suntan lotion?"

"What's with you and applying suntan lotion?" Troy asked.

"You know what?" Rocket said as he spun around and hoped off of the ledge. "I'm going to patrol the beach."

"Suit yourself," Troy said, staying in his spot on the ledge while Rocket jogged down the stairs. "I'll be here."

"As always," Rocket sighed, shaking his head at his friend, as if he couldn't understand why someone like him wouldn't be sauntering around the beach to find someone to have a good time with.

...

Everyday, right as the moon was decorating the lake water with it's white glow, Troy sat at the lifeguard tower, eating a turkey sandwich on white bread while sitting on the worn wooden steps leading up to the shack.

Even though it had been hot that day, Troy wore a zip up sweater over his bare chest paired with his swim shorts. He leaned his elbows back against the step behind him and held his sandwich in his right hand, sitting in deep thought as he looked out at the still water.

From next to him, Troy could hear whispering and giggling, and he looked to his left, only able to see someone's bright white shorts and another person's white sweatshirt.

"Shit, Monica, would you stop laughing?"

"Don't tell me what to do, sis."

"How about both of you stop before we're caught?"

Troy set his sandwich down on the step and got up slowly, grabbing the flashlight that had been sitting on the step next to him. He could still hear whispering as he stepped onto the sand and he started to walk their way. Little did they know they were walking right towards him.

"The beach is closed."

Right as Troy spoke all three of the girl's screamed and grabbed onto each other. He held in a chuckle as he shined his flashlight onto them and saw the surprised looks on their faces.

"Would you mind?" Monica asked, putting her hand in front of her face to block the light from her eyes.

Troy lowered the flashlight, keeping it on, but pointing it in the sand to at least give off some light. He noticed the girl from earlier who he had taken in from the lake and she seemed to be embarrassed to be caught with her friends.

"I would assume you ladies know the beach hours, so what brings you here? It must be important considering you're breaking a law."

The girls exchanged looks with each other and then looked back at Troy, who was still trying to hold back his smirk.

"We were just coming back because… uh, Gabriella lost something! Yeah, that's it," Angela said, nodding her head so quickly that her silky brown hair started to loosen from its pony tail holder.

"Huh?" Gabriella said in a whisper.

Troy raised his eyebrow's, noticing how Monica elbowed her in the side.

"Yeah, I lost a silver necklace with a heart on it," Gabriella said quickly. "My dad gave it to me when I, uh,…"

"Got into law school!" Angela exclaimed.

"Law school. He gave it to me when I got into law school," Gabriella repeated, looking at Troy with a nod.

Troy's tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek as he surveyed the three attractive girls in front of him. They were all terrible at lying, but the way Gabriella had rolled her eyes and said she had gotten a necklace for getting into law school didn't seem far from the truth. He took a step closer to them, shinning the flashlight in their eyes again. They all put their hands up to block the light and squinted.

"I guess we better start looking then," Troy said.

Monica and Angela looked at each other and then back at Troy. Troy lowered the flashlight and waited for them to agree with him.

"You know what, Gabriella? We just remembered that our dad wanted us back home by now, so… we'll meet you there. Have fun looking for that necklace," Monica said. She waved quickly at Gabriella and grabbed her sister, turning to go.

"What? Guys!"

Gabriella's hands slapped her thighs as they fell from their annoyed gesture and she turned back to Troy when her friends jogged away from her, giving him an awkward smile.

"So…" she said, forcing a soft laugh.

"The necklace," Troy said, smirking now as Gabriella looked back at her friends, taking a step towards them subtly, but not subtly enough for Troy not to notice.

"You know, I really don't think we'll find it in the dark, so I can come back another day," Gabriella said with another forced laugh, taking another step away from him.

"Oh, great, so are you going to be getting the ticket, or are they?" Troy asked, knowing that he was supposed to call the police when people trespassed after hours. Quite frankly, he just wanted to see her reaction. It ended up being uneventful.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She seemed to stomp her legs in the sand as she said it and Troy noticed that she had been the one in the white shorts.

"You're causing me a lot of trouble today..."

"Gabriella," she said, raising her eyebrows because he forgot her name. No one usually did.

"Gabriella," Troy repeated. "I think giving you a ticket would lessen my troubles for tomorrow, what do you think?"

She scoffed at him, tightening her crossed arms so that she didn't say anything that would get her a ticket for sure.

"I think we have a necklace to look for," she said, turning away and looking down to the sand.

Troy stayed in his spot, watching as she walked into the darkness and he clicked off his flashlight, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. He could see her white shorts and he walked towards her, clearing his throat once he was walking next to her.

"So, law school, huh?" He said. "Did your friends lie about that too, or is that part true?"

Gabriella glanced over at him, then looked back to the sand.

"That part's true," Gabriella replied simply.

"And…"

"And, what?" Gabriella asked. "Should I really be telling my life ambition to random strangers?"

"I wouldn't consider myself random. I did save your life this morning."

Troy smirked when she sighed, watching as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I want to be a lawyer." Gabriella shrugged after saying that, not knowing what more to tell him.

"Want to?"

Gabriella's jaw dropped open half way, surprised that a guy she barely knew doubted that she wanted to be what she was telling him after only a few minutes of talking.

"Yes," Gabriella replied in an offended tone.

"Sorry, it just doesn't sound like you're excited about it."

"I am," she said curtly.

"Fine."

Troy stuck his hands in his sweatshirt pockets even as he held onto his flashlight. He wasn't even looking at the ground where he was supposed to be looking. Instead he was just looking out at the beach while occasionally looking over at the girl next to him.

"What do you want to be, hot shot?" Gabriella asked, stopping suddenly. She poked him in the arm, making him chuckle.

Troy saw that her expression was one of annoyance as he stopped too and turned to stand facing her. Beyond her was the parking lot and only a few cars remained there, but he looked right at her.

"Everything."

"What?" She said in surprise. "Everything?"

"Yup."

"Oh, come on, we've been walking around this beach for a good ten minutes and you've been getting answers out of me, but when I ask you a simple question you can't even answer it?" Gabriella's hands went to her hips and she shook her head.

"I did answer your question," Troy shrugged. "You just didn't like the answer."

"You can't be everything," Gabriella told him.

"It's getting late, I should be getting home. You should," he said.

"I think it's only fair if you answer a few more questions, and besides, we have a necklace to look for…"

Gabriella's sentence trailed off when Troy took a step toward her. Her eyes followed his hand as it reached past her ear and she felt his hand on her neck. The necklace she was wearing moved off of her shoulder as he took it in his hand and his thumb brushed against her cheek when he lifted the necklace from underneath her crisp black shirt.

"Well, look at that," Troy said, letting go of the necklace so that it fell against her shirt.

Gabriella instantly squeezed the heart pendant in her hand, looking up at Troy shyly while nervously scratching her neck with her free hand where his hand touched her. A car horn honked and she looked behind her, seeing that Monica and Angela were still there, only now putting on the headlights so that their hiding spot was given away. Troy and Gabriella stood in the beaming light and now Troy squinted, realizing how annoying his flashlight must have been to the girls.

The lights flicked off when Gabriella sent her friends a _shooing_ gesture and they stood in the dark once again.

"Goodnight, lifeguard," Gabriella said as she stepped away from him, walking up the mounds of the beach to get to the parking lot.

"Night, liar," Troy said back.

Gabriella looked over her shoulder, spitting her tongue out at him when she heard what he called her, but he only laughed. He watched as she ran toward her friend's car, giving him a secretive wave before hopping into the back seat of the Jeep.

* * *

**Like it? Review!**

**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to update on Tuesday! Oops, oops! My schedule last week was really weird, so I forgot to update, so this is a few days late, I'm sorry! I'll update on Saturdays from now on because updating on a school day will be disasterious! This chapter is a little bit of a filler, but it's meant to show the difference between Troy's life and Gabriella's. Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter two

Since Gabriella was a guest in Monica and Angela's house, she wanted to make sure she wasn't getting in everyone's way. But since she got up the morning after the day at the beach, everything had been done for her. Her bed was fixed by the time she got out of the bathroom when she first woke up and breakfast was cooked by someone else too.

It wasn't a surprise to her though, considering all of those tasks would have been done for her if she was in her own house, but still she felt bad for getting a free stay in her friend's mansion and having to do nothing for it. So that was why she was headed down the driveway after volunteering to get the mail.

She was wearing a robe because her skimpy tank top and booty shorts weren't exactly what she wanted people seeing her in. Her feet were covered in bunny slippers and her hair was tangled and tousled as it rested over her shoulders.

Yawning, she stopped at the mail box, pulling open the small door that hid the many bills and letters. She grabbed the contents of the mailbox and pulled them out, staying put at the end of the driveway as she flipped through a magazine.

She looked up only when she heard the roaring of the garbage truck stop across the street, and she did a double take when she saw Troy, the lifeguard from yesterday, walking toward the trashcans on the opposite side of the driveway she was currently standing on. He was wearing a blue jump suit that was dusted with dirt and grim and from where she stood, she could tell he was sweating.

Finally, after a few seconds of staring, Gabriella blinked out of her daze when Troy looked up from the trash can he was now heaving toward the truck and made eye contact with her. She continued to watch him as he walked back toward the driveway.

"Morning," he said with a nod, grinning at her as if he was amused by her appearance.

Gabriella opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out as he hopped onto the back of the truck and held on tight as the truck pulled away, letting him dangle off of the back. He didn't seem fazed at all though as it came to another quick stop and he jumped off again.

"I need coffee," Gabriella said to herself, turning toward the house and walking back up the driveway. "A lot of it."

...

Troy bobbed his head to the music that was playing from the radio in the garbage truck. He was looking out the window as the other trash collector, Wesley, pulled up to the trash plant where they were going to be dumping the trash. The sweat smell of the garbage heap they could see now as they came to a stop was something Troy had gotten used to now that he wasn't a newbie.

Hopping out of the truck, Troy waved at Wesley who pulled up further to get rid of the trash they had collected. Troy walked over to the small building by the front gate of the trash facility and pulled open the door, waving at the women who sat at the front desk.

"Pay checks are here, hon," she said, stopping momentarily on the loud chomping of her gum to tell him.

"Great, thanks," Troy said with a smile, walking past her toward his boss's office.

"Troy! Pay checks," Harold, Troy's boss, said while sitting up from his chair, rummaging through the paper's on his desk before finally pulling an envelope from the pile and handing it over to Troy.

"Thanks, boss," Troy said, ripping it open with a quick flick of his finger. He pulled out the check and frowned when he saw the amount written there. "Uh… there has to be some kind of mistake here, Harold."

"No mistake," Harold said with a shake of his head. "That's everything."

"But I worked three days last week when Chuck's wife had a baby and he couldn't work," Troy said, looking over at the balding man sitting in front of him.

"Look, kid, you don't work full time. You simply fill in for me when guys can't work. Your pay check isn't going to be as hefty as the rest of ours."

Troy stuffed the check back in the envelope and rubbed his forehead with his free hand.

"This definitely isn't going to cover the month's bills," Troy sighed, talking mainly to himself, but playing partly on the guilt card.

"Well, son, it looks like you need another job then," Harold said with a shrug, spinning in his chair so that he was directly in front of his computer. He clicked away at something, letting Troy be.

"Thanks, Harold, but I already have four."

...

"Do you really think that shirt was worth two hundred bucks?" Gabriella asked as she, Monica, and Angela walked out of a bouquet shop downtown. They were each holding at least two shopping bags and they all had a pair of sunglasses perched on the tops of their heads.

"Of course," Angela said with a nod of her head. "I'll wear it at least twice; get my use out of it."

Gabriella laughed softly, shaking her head at her friend's poor economic choices.

"Besides, we're not paying for it," Monica giggled.

"Thank you, Daddy," Angela added with a similar laugh.

"Speaking of Daddy," Monica started, looking over at Gabriella as she began to inform her on the latest. "He wants to throw us a party on his new yacht, so invite as many people as you can think of."

"What's the party for?" Gabriella asked, sipping on the banana and strawberry smoothie that she had bought three stores ago.

"To break in the yacht," Monica smiled. "Anthony is bringing some new friends with him, so maybe we'll find you someone special, Miss Single."

Gabriella rolled her eyes when she felt her friend poke her in the arm with her fake nail. She knew that Monica wasn't the type to go to a party without a date, and Monica thought she was crazy for being single for so long.

"Can't wait," Gabriella said sarcastically.

"Heck, maybe Anthony's the one for you," Angela said as she stopped by a window, looking in at the dresses being shown off by headless mannequins. "He seems to like you a lot."

"No, he seems to like my ass a lot," Gabriella replied, following her friends as they were pulled into the store they had stopped in front of by the glittery accessories and matching dresses in the window.

"That's not always a bad thing," Monica laughed, gasping after when she saw a dress that she absolutely la-oved.

...

Troy walked down the street towards his house with the deposit slip from the bank in his back jean pocket and a pair of old sunglasses covering his eyes. He waved to the few neighbors that were outside of their houses and they waved back with smiles on their faces.

Mr. Silverman, Troy's elderly neighbor, sat on a rocking chair that was perched on his porch, looking out at Troy as he passed.

"Evening, Mr. Silverman!"

The old man waved back at him, sitting forward slightly.

"Evening, Mr. Bolton. Working hard today I presume."

"As always."

Troy smiled to himself as he walked up the pathway to his one level house. The landscaping leading up to the small porch by the front door was looking close to perfect since Troy had spent all of his free Saturday nights for the past couple of months working on it. There was a coat of fresh yellow paint on the house and the windows sparkled in the afternoon sun. He breathed in the fresh air before pulling open the front door and stepping inside.

From his spot by the door, Troy could see his mother Mariah Bolton hobbling over to the kitchen as she leaned on one crutch that was helping her walk since one of her legs was wrapped in a cast.

"Whoa there, Mom," Troy said as he rushed over to her. "You're supposed to be sitting on the couch, remember? Doctor's orders."

"Yeah, yeah," Mariah said as Troy led her back to the couch. "Let's see him sit on a couch for hours when the only thing to watch during the day are soap operas."

"Well don't worry about that because I rented some movies that we can watch tonight. No more soap operas," Troy said with a smile. He sat down on the couch next to his mom and put his feet up on the coffee table.

"You don't want to waste a Saturday night on me, Troy," Mariah said. She adjusted the pillow that rested under her leg and sighed because it didn't become any more comfortable.

Troy rested his arms behind his head and looked over at his mom. She was beautiful even with her hair in a ponytail and a huge cast burdening her usual perfect posture.

"Yes I do," he said. "Trust me."

Mariah Bolton sighed, but didn't try to change Troy's mind since it usually never changed once he was set on doing something.

"Before we watch any movies, though, you should call your sister. She called when you were out to check in on us. She worries too much… tell her that."

"That's Theresa for you," Troy laughed, getting up off of the couch so that he could call his younger sister back. She was currently going to medical school and on top of paying the bills Troy was also sending her money so that she could put some towards her student loans. Ever since Troy's mom broke her leg, paying for what needed to be paid for became even harder since she couldn't work until she was better.

"Big brother!" Theresa exclaimed when she heard Troy's voice a few minutes later on the other end of the phone.

...

"Big deal," Monica said in annoyance. "So you have to turn away a few people, how is that my problem?"

"Your mother wants her friends to come, so you'll be the one turning people away," Monica's dad said as Gabriella and Monica sat in the family room watching TV later that evening. They were discussing the guest list for the yacht party and Monica wasn't too happy about it.

"Who do you expect me to turn away?" Monica asked.

"I don't know. It's not my problem," he mocked her with a shake of his head and then left the room, tired already of the conversation. "Just make it happen."

"Whatever."

"I'll uninvited the people I invited, Mon, it's no problem," Gabriella said with a smile, twirling the remote control she wasn't currently using, but held on to anyways.

"Only if you don't mind," Monica said dryly, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned further into the leather couch. "I wouldn't want that to ruin your night."

"It won't," Gabriella said with a shrug. "It's your party anyway."

Monica sighed in response, keeping her attention fixated on the new episode of The Hills. Gabriella looked over at the TV as well, letting her friend sulk before she tried to have anymore of a conversation with her.

"Do you want to go shopping?" Monica said after a while of silence. "I need to get my anger out somehow."

Gabriella smiled, inwardly shaking her head at her friend.

"I'll drive."

* * *

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**unknownbyhim22**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Everyone! I hope you're all having a good weekend! I would have updated yesturday, but I kind of fell asleep before I could. :) I'm glad to see that many people are putting this story on their alerts/favorites! Be sure to review so that I can see if you actually like it! I really love Troy in this chapter, so get ready to fall for him! haha Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter three

Gabriella's eye was magnified in the round mirror sitting on the bathroom counter as she carefully applied her mascara. She was back home in her own bathroom after escaping Monica's house when Monica started to sob over a wrinkled cocktail dress. Since Gabriella only lived a block over from Monica, it was easy to go from house to house.

"I had your dress ironed."

Gabriella blinked her focus away from the mirror and looked behind her to see her mother walking into her large bathroom with the white mini dress in her hands. Gabriella smiled when she saw it, remembering how it had grabbed her attention at the store.

"Thanks, mom," Gabriella replied. "I'll be leaving in a few minutes and then I'll be out of your way."

"Oh don't you worry. You know that your father and I love having you at the summer house. We don't get to see you as much as we would like when you're at school."

Gabriella watched as her mom walked over to the other mirror in the bathroom and checked her own makeup. A small part of the mirror fogged when a cloud of hot air made its way out of Mrs. Montez's mouth when she reapplied her mascara, and then she quickly stepped away, tossing the thin tube onto the marble counter top.

"Be sure to let us know when you're leaving. I want to see that dress on you."

"Alright," Gabriella said.

The silver eye liner that Gabriella had just applied sparkled in the bathroom's light. Shimmying into her dress, Gabriella couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror. She looked good, and she knew it. The silver shoes that she put on sunk momentarily into her carpeted floor, but she was finally able to walk once she was out into the hallway, walking on the wood floors.

After stopping to talk to her parents in the kitchen, Gabriella walked out of the house and down her driveway, where she got into her red convertible and drove towards Monica's house where the yacht was taking off from.

"Gabriella! You're here," Angela exclaimed when Gabriella walked through their backyard.

"I left twenty minutes ago and you're already missing me?" Gabriella asked with a laugh, carefully stepping along the yard's stepping stones that lead to the lake.

Angela and Monica continued to wave and call after Gabriella from their spot by the yacht and just as Gabriella was about to step into the house on water, she heard others call her name.

"Hey, boys," Gabriella said when she saw Anthony, Connor, and a few other friends from the beach. They were all halfway dressed up, most of them in kaki dress pants and a half buttoned up shirt. "You're all purposely underdressed I see."

"Yeah, well, we know how much it bugs Monica, so, you know," Connor said with a smile, his nose lightly sunburned even after the constant applying of suntan lotion to that area.

"You're terrible," Gabriella laughed, taking Connor's hand when he offered it to her so that she wouldn't fall when getting onto the yacht.

"So I heard you're looking for a boyfriend tonight, Gabs," Anthony said with a grin, draping his arm over her shoulders. "Monica thinks I'm the one."

"Sorry to break it to you, Anthony, but I have a mind of my own. I don't think the same as Monica," Gabriella said, pushing his arm away from her so that she could join her friends without him.

"We'll be dating by the end of the night, just watch."

Anthony grinned as he walked over to Connor who was already getting a drink from the bar, but Gabriella barely noticed as she joined Angela and Monica by the edge of the yacht where they were watching the guests arrive from.

"So, which one of you encouraged Anthony to go after me?" Gabriella asked her friends, seeing both of them look in opposite directions to avoid her eye contact.

"We know you didn't just get all dolled up for us, hon," Monica smirked.

"I got dressed up for myself," Gabriella said with a shrug. "I don't need to try to impress people twenty four seven."

"Whatever you say," Angela said. "But I'm going to go impress that guy with my new fake tan."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as the youngest girl out of all of her friends walked away towards an equally faked tan guy a few feet away. Monica groaned at her younger sister's comment, and turned back to watch the guests.

"You're not supposed to admit to getting a fake tan," Monica said with another eye roll. "She's an idiot."

"She's learning," Gabriella laughed, leaning over the side of the yacht to look at the water below them. "When are we taking off?"

"Five minutes ago," Monica said with a sigh. "This party is already cramping my style."

"I think that expression just took care of that for ya, Mon."

"Oh, shut up," Monica said as she shoved her friend. "At least I'm not wearing last year's lip stick."

"I am not," Gabriella said with a gasp, touching her lips briefly. "You're just jealous because I got this dress on sale."

"And we all can see that."

"You're a bitch sometimes, Monica," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. "Once something doesn't go your way, you're ready to call it quits."

"Then go talk to someone nicer, Gabriell-a," Monica said, pushing away from the side of the yacht and leaving Gabriella alone.

Gabriella watched as Monica walked over toward Connor and Anthony, who were now with a group of guys their age. She knew that Monica would eventually come crawling back and that she was simply moody, so she stayed in her spot by the edge of the yacht, gripping onto the side when it started to move.

Just as the boat was pulling away from the dock, though, Gabriella spotted the lifeguard, now also the trash collector from this morning, running as fast as he could toward the yacht. He was wearing black dress pants and dress shoes, along with a white shirt with a waiter's vest pulled over it.

Gabriella was about to shout to tell someone to stop the yacht, but she was shocked to see him literally leap off of the dock, closing his eyes as if hoping and praying along the way, and then he grabbed onto the ladder that went up to the floor. She leaned over the edge again, watching as he climbed the ladder and brushed his pants off once his feet where flat on the ground. He walked over to the bar where a group was forming, and patted an older man's shoulder who was standing behind the bar with him as if he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary.

"What are you looking at?" Anthony asked, leaning against the edge of the yacht next to Gabriella.

Gabriella jumped, not expecting her thoughts to be interrupted just yet.

"At the sun set," Gabriella answered, even though she didn't want to start any kind of conversation with Anthony.

"Ew," Anthony said. "You're looking at the sunset when there are tons of beautiful people to be watching."

"Yes, I must be going crazy," Gabriella said sarcastically, pressing her chin into the palm of her hand as it leaned against the edge.

"Probably," Anthony said, not picking up on her sarcasm.

"What's up, Anthony? You were just talking to me two minutes ago," Gabriella said, looking over at him briefly.

"Monica said you wanted to talk to me."

"Don't listen to Monica, Anthony. She doesn't know anything."

"Don't let her hear you say that," Anthony said with a soft laugh. "She's out for blood for some reason tonight and you're looking like bare skin."

"What?" Gabriella asked, squinting at him after looking down at her tanned, freshly shaven legs.

"You know how mosquitoes are always sucking blood out of people when they least expect it?"

"Oh, bare skin, got it," Gabriella said with a nod. "Thanks for the warning."

"I'm just looking out for you," Anthony said with a smile, pulling her in for a hug, which she half heartedly returned. "I've got your back."

"I'm still not interested in you."

"Well, see you later, babe," Anthony said as he pulled away from her. "I know plenty of women who are."

"So much for having my back," Gabriella hollered after him as he walked away from her and toward a new group of young women like herself.

Gabriella turned back around, facing the water as the yacht moved slowly onward. The wind picked up slightly and the pieces of hair that weren't up in her up-do waved in the breeze. She gasped when she felt a rough hand press up against her shoulder, and when she turned around she saw Troy standing with a tray of drinks resting on his right hand.

"Sorry about that," Troy said, taking a step away from her. "There was a mosquito."

Gabriella watched as he turned his hand to face her and she frowned when she saw the mosquito smashed on his palm, its wings crinkled and crushed as blood surrounded it.

"Well, thanks, I guess."

"It's my job," Troy shrugged.

"Squishing mosquitoes on girl's shoulders is your job?" Gabriella asked with a raise of her eyebrows, smiling softly when he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Nah, passing out drinks is more like it," he replied, pointing to his tray. "Want one?"

"No, I don't drink," Gabriella replied.

"Really, why's that?"

Troy didn't mean to ask, but he suddenly realized that he had when she looked surprised. She blushed slightly too, looking away from him briefly before looking him in the eye.

"Do you really expect me to tell a random stranger my reasons why?" Gabriella asked.

"I wouldn't consider myself a random stranger, but I'll get you some… water?"

"Yes, please."

"Wow, you're the first person to use _that_ word tonight."

"Yes?"

"Ha, ha," Troy said with a grin. "I'll be right back."

Troy walked away and hurried to get a glass of water for the waiting twenty something year old. He could see her still standing in the same spot from the bar area, and he was having a hard time understanding why a girl as pretty as she was, was still being passed by, by the other guest.

"Here's your water," Troy said once he was across the deck.

"Thanks," Gabriella said while taking the water from his tray. "I hate to sound presumptuous or anything…"

"Oh, don't worry; you wouldn't be the first tonight."

Gabriella smiled, glancing over to the other guests at the party before looking back at him.

"How is it that you're suddenly showing up wherever I am?"

Troy grinned, leaning against the edge of the yacht, dropping a used lemon slice into the water and watching it _plunk _through it. He looked up at her once he couldn't see the lemon anymore and she glanced away from him, feeling her heart pound as she noticed the blueness of his eyes.

"Well, let's see here," Troy said. "You were stranded in the middle of this beautiful lake and I'm the lifeguard, it's my job to come to your rescue… and then I just so happened to be collecting your trash as you're picking up your mail in bunny slippers… and now I'm here serving you water. It looks to me like you must have Googled me and found all of my job descriptions and followed _me_."

"Okay, so it was an arrogant question, I'm sorry," Gabriella said, blushing as she twirled the thin black straw that was set in her glass.

"That's okay, because I was wondering the same thing," Troy replied.

"Really," Gabriella said, stating her one word rather than saying it as a question.

Troy nodded, surveying her flawless skin and tinted cheeks. Her shoes tapped on the yacht floor, drawing his attention to her tanned legs and perfectly painted toe nails. In his opinion, whether it mattered or not, she looked perfect.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you standing around here alone?" Troy asked.

"Well, technically I'm not alone," Gabriella said to him. "I _am_ talking to you."

"Why aren't you with your friends?"

"Because I'm wearing last year's lip stick."

Troy raised his eyebrows at her answer and she smiled, shrugging in response.

"Gabriella." Monica's voice rang through the noise of the crowd and she appeared with an empty glass in her hand, which she set on Troy's tray. "Why are you mingling with the help?"

"Don't you recognize him?" Gabriella asked, noticing how Troy simply smirked, not looking offended at all.

"No, should I?" Monica asked.

"He's the lifeguard."

Monica's smooth forehead creased in confusion when she finally realized who he was. She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.

"I didn't recognize you with a shirt on," she explained.

"Oh, don't worry, the second Single Ladies comes on, it's coming off," Troy replied, causing Gabriella's hand to cover her mouth in order to hide a laugh. "I'll get you another drink."

Monica waited until Troy was gone before turning to her friend with a pissed expression.

"That's the best you can do?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gabriella asked.

"I invited tons of eligible bachelors and the only guy you've talked to is Hot Bod from the beach?"

"I'm sorry that I didn't know I was the next Bachlorette. Someone get the roses, quick, before the helicopter takes off."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Gabs. I'm trying to help you find someone," Monica whined.

"Ah, man, and Hot Bod doesn't make the cut?"

Monica's jaw dropped when she heard Troy behind her and turned around. She snatched the drink he had for her away from him and took a gulp.

"How much of that did you hear?" She asked.

"Enough," he said. "If you ladies need anything, just let me know. Or just play Single Ladies, I'll bet the one without the shirt."

Gabriella laughed out loud and ignored Monica's annoyed look when he walked away. She took a sip of her room temperature water before finally allowing her friend to pull her away from her comfort zone and introduce her to the many guys waiting for her.

...

Troy was shaking a mix of alcohol in a martini shaker for an older woman who had already had four or five martinis when he saw Gabriella swiftly walking toward the bar. He handed over the drink to the woman and slowly became confused when Gabriella ran behind the bar, squatting behind it, holding onto Troy's pant leg so she wouldn't fall over.

"I'm not here," Gabriella whisper shouted to him, frowning when she felt something sticky drip onto her leg.

"Just to let you know, I've dropped like ten drinks down there, so your white dress won't be too white if you tip over," Troy said as he wiped off the bar with a wet rag.

"I'll risk it," Gabriella replied. "Is there a drooling drunk guy coming over here?"

"Nah, no drooling drunk guy," Troy said as he looked around the room. "Oh, wait, be quiet."

"Hey, man, I'll take another beer."

Gabriella closed her eyes, hoping that if she couldn't see anyone, no one could see her. The guy Monica was trying to get her to dance with was now at the bar where she was hiding from him.

"Coming right up," Troy said with a nod, moving quicker than usual to get him his drink so that he would leave.

"Have you seen a really hot girl in a white dress?" The guys asked, leaning up against the counter.

"Not since I got here, sorry man."

Gabriella looked up from her spot and watched as Troy breathed out a long stream of air in relief. He looked down at her, casually dropping a lime slice onto the ground so that he would have an excuse to crouch down next to her.

"You're really not very social, are you?" Troy asked.

"Very funny," Gabriella said with an eye roll, brushing her hair away from her face. "Have you seen the guys Monica is trying to get me with?"

"Not really, I've been working," Troy answered with a shrug.

"One guy almost threw up on my shoes, and then another guy drooled on me, drooled!" Gabriella exclaimed.

"Shhh," Troy said, putting a finger to his lips to show her that she was being too loud if she wanted to go unnoticed.

"Why can't any of these guys be more like…" Gabriella sighed, shaking her head. She didn't know what to say since she didn't exactly know what she was even looking for in a guy. Having a boyfriend wasn't exactly her top priority.

"Like Hot Bod over here?" Troy said egotistically, grinning when she gave him a pointed look.

"Not exactly," Gabriella replied, smiling softly. "I just want a polite, well rounded, wealthy guy to be interested in me, you know?"

"I don't think I've ever met a polite rich guy," Troy said. "And I've seen a lot in my day."

Gabriella laughed, blushing slightly because he probably thought she was a spoiled brat for wanting someone with money. She started to re-track her statement, though, right as he commented.

"Okay, so maybe I don't need a rich guy, but my parents would have a _fit_," Gabriella said.

"I guess if I was Bruno and Patricia Montez, I'd want my daughter to marry a rich guy too."

Gabriella's smile faded slowly and she studied his expression, but he didn't seem any different than he had a few minutes ago.

"What?" Troy asked when he noticed her staring at him.

"How'd you know who my parents are?"

"Oh, sorry, I know you're probably thinking I'm some psycho stalker now. I'm not, by the way," Troy said with a shake of his head, laughing at himself. "I had to Google the guest list. It's just part of the job."

"Why do you have to Google the guest list?" Gabriella asked, adjusting her legs because they were starting to cramp.

"So I can figure out what kind of drink they'd want," Troy said. "Seriously, it's pretty easy to figure out once you know what kind of hardships they've faced."

"Yet you didn't know I wanted water," Gabriella teased.

"That one came out of left field. I pegged you for a Bloody Mary for sure."

"Trust me, if I hadn't gotten the worst hangover of my life after I passed the bar exam last year, which after I drank at least four Bloody Mary's, I would have loved one. After a night with my head in the toilet, I vowed I'd never drink again."

"See, I knew it," Troy said with a laugh.

"What kind of hardships did you come across when Googling me, I'm curious."

Troy shrugged, resting his arms on his bent knees as he tried to stay balanced longer. He could feel his legs burning underneath him though from being crouched down for so long.

"You have rich parents. That's a heavy burden to carry," Troy said.

"Burden?" Gabriella asked with a laugh. "How's that a burden?"

Troy heard someone clear their throat and he quickly stood up, seeing a line of people at the bar. He smiled at them all, turning up the charm.

"Sorry for that, everyone. I dropped a lime."

...

"Where the hell have you been, Gabriella?" Monica asked as people started to file off of the yacht. It was at least two in the morning, and after Troy got busy again at the bar, Gabriella had snuck towards the front of the yacht and stayed there until they were back at Monica's dock.

"Mingling," Gabriella smiled, carefully walking down the stairs of the yacht and hopping onto the dock.

"With someone other than Hot Bod, I hope," Monica said, linking her arm with hers. She was wobbly from her many drinks.

"Of course," Gabriella lied. "I was talking to the guys you brought for me.

"You're a great friend," Monica said, slurring her words as Angela came to her other side, grabbing onto her so that Gabriella could leave.

"Anything for you," Gabriella said as she walked away from her, taking her heels off before she got to the grass in the backyard. She held onto her shoes and walked through the yard and to the road, where her convertible was still parked and waiting for her.

Gabriella leaned back into the leather seat of her car and sighed when she set her head on the head rest. She could have fallen asleep right then as the silence of the night drew her in, trying to get her to sleep. She was debating whether she was going to make the drive home, or just crash at Monica's house, when she opened her eyes, seeing Troy walking away from the house and down the road.

She started up the car, slowing again once she was driving next to him. His hands were in his pockets as he whistled, and she smiled softly, wondering how he could always seem so calm and worry free.

"Want a ride?" Gabriella asked, stopping the car when he stopped walking.

"Wow," Troy said, running his hand along the car door. "That's a nice car. Expensive."

"Well, when you have rich parents…" Gabriella smiled, seeing him rub his hand over his neck.

"I live towards town, so it's probably out of your way," Troy told her.

Gabriella shrugged, leaning over the passenger's seat, pushing open the side door.

"I don't have anyone waiting up for me," she replied. "And besides, it'll take you all night to walk to town."

"Okay," he said simply, nodding as he slid into the leather seat.

Gabriella pressed on the gas, letting the breeze blow her hair out of her ponytail. She didn't say anything to Troy as she drove toward town, but let him take in the ride. When she looked over at him when they were at a stop light, he didn't seem too surprised at the experience, though, he seemed like he'd done it all before.

"You can go left up here," he said once they were past the ice cream shop and bar.

Gabriella turned down a street with small, quaint houses lining each side. When she got closer to a house with front porch lights on and flashing against the curtains inside, like a TV was on, Troy told her to stop.

"This is it," Troy said.

"I like it," Gabriella said with a smile as he got out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride."

"No problem," Gabriella said, keeping her hands on the wheel.

"Maybe we'll run into each other again," Troy laughed as he walked towards his house backwards so that he could still see her.

"Maybe." She grinned. "Goodnight, bartender."

"Night, rich girl."

* * *

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**unknownbyhim22**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Nothing much going on here, so I'll just let you read! Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter four

Gabriella's duvet cover snuggled around her as she lay in her bed a few days later. She was starring at her crisp white ceiling, pressing the covers against her cheek while she yawned. She was trying her hardest to fall back asleep, but the light from outside poured through her windows, and the sheer white curtains did nothing to darken her room.

"I don't want to get up," Gabriella said to herself, pulling her blanket over her head. "I'm staying here for forever."

She was starting to think she was crazy, because she was currently talking to herself, trying to convince herself to stay curled up in a ball in the center of her bed. She went to bed late last night because she stayed up talking to Monica and Angela on a three way call. She was starting to regret the late night girl talk.

Outside, a beeping sound of a truck backing up could be heard, and Gabriella groaned into her pillow, covering her ears. Her dad had suddenly decided that he wanted new landscaping for the front of the house, so the landscape company showed up early this morning to start their work.

"Gabriella, honey, get up."

"I'm tired," Gabriella said to her mom as she peeled back the covers. "Why does Dad want new landscaping, again?"

"Because he's a man and likes dirt, God only knows," Mrs. Montez said.

"Look at this!" Mr. Montez exclaimed, walking into Gabriella's room.

"Sure, come on in. Party in my room," Gabriella said sarcastically as she got out of bed.

"They're tearing the trees down," Mr. Montez said with a smile, looking out of Gabriella's window so that he could see the front yard from a better view. Gabriella walked over to the window quickly, seeing that the front yard was now only a field of dirt.

"Are you doing this because you're looking for a way to spend all of your money, Dad? Because if that's the case, I could use a house of my own, far away from this circus," Gabriella said.

"Why get a house of your own when you can live here rent free while you're finishing up school?" Mrs. Montez said.

"Oh, no reason, really," Gabriella said with an eye roll, walking towards her bathroom. "I'll be showering. I'm locking the door too, so don't even think about asking me about paint colors while I'm shampooing."

"That was one time, Gabi," Mrs. Montez said. "One time."

"And I'll never forget it."

...

"Bolton, get your ass out of the mud!"

Troy jumped away from the mud puddle he was currently sloshing around in, and he laughed as his boss's face grew red in anger. He liked messing with his boss because he looked like his head was going to explode when he got mad, but he never fired anyone unless they got his coffee order wrong.

"This road isn't going to get paved if you're acting like a kid in a sandbox, boy," Frank, his boss, said.

"Okay, okay," Troy said, holding the stop sign he was using to direct traffic with up straighter.

Monica pulled up on the dirt road that was currently being worked on after telling Gabriella to meet her at the beach after lunch. She waved the air around her, trying not to inhale the dirt that was flying around. Her Jeep would surly be dusty after this drive. She squinted when she saw Troy standing by the side of the road, looking bored as he held up a stop sign.

"Ew, what are you doing?" Monica called after him when he finally looked over at her.

"Working," he said with a grin.

"Ew," Monica said with a sick look on her face, like she couldn't fathom the concept of working. "How many jobs do you have anyways?"

"Oh look at that, time to go," Troy said to her, turning around the stop sign so that it read _slow_ instead of _stop_. Monica glared at him as she drove past him, and he simply waved at her, moving the sign around so that it looked like it was waving her goodbye.

...

"You wouldn't believe who I saw today," Monica said as she and Gabriella walked towards the beach. Each of them had their own beach bag slung over their shoulder and they were both wearing a bikini top and shorts.

"Who?" Gabriella asked, rubbing her lips together to make sure she still had Chap Stick covering her lips.

"Hot Bod."

Gabriella laughed, shaking her head as she and Monica stopped at a good spot and laid their towels down.

"Honestly, that doesn't surprise me at all."

"Yeah, he was standing in a construction zone with a stop sign in one hand. He looked pretty bored," Monica replied, sitting down on her towel. "That guy must be good at everything if he has so many freaking jobs."

"I haven't seen him in a while. I was starting to run into him a lot," Gabriella said as she too sat down on her towel. She took a sip of water from her water bottle and then laid down.

"Well since he's the only guy you've become even remotely interested in, why don't you see if he's good at…"

"Hey, didn't you just tell me I could do better?" Gabriella asked, looking over at her. "You exiled me at your party because I was talking to him and now you're changing your mind? What gives?"

"Well, I was talking to Anthony…"

"Which is never good."

"And he was saying how some of the guys were weirded out by your vibe at the party and that you probably weren't going to get any anytime soon… so."

"I can't believe you," Gabriella said angrily. She slapped the sand next to her and shook her head as she squinted away the sun that made its way through her sunglasses.

"What?" Monica whined, pouting as she kept her eyes closed underneath her sunglasses.

"You want me to date someone just because douche bag Anthony said it was okay?"

"Not technically… he just said he wasn't up for the chase, so now he's off the possibilities list."

"So you're saying the only one left for me is Troy?"

"It sounds bad when you say it like that," Monica said to her. "He's hot, right? It could work."

"He's motivated," Gabriella said to her. "Unlike all of the guys we know."

"Yeah, but who wants motivated when you can have money?" Monica asked seriously.

"You're a dumb rich girl, Monica," Gabriella sighed.

"So are you, s_o_ _are_ _you_."

...

"Hey, guys, let's see if we can freak out the girls," Anthony said with a laugh, tiptoeing with his friends towards Gabriella and Monica later that day as they were flipped over on their stomachs and most likely sleeping.

The rest of the guys snickered as they got closer to them, and Anthony tossed a cracker up in the air, watching as a seagull caught it and a few more swarmed towards it.

"One, two, three," Anthony shouted, tossing his handful of crackers at the girls. His friends followed and within seconds the girls were screaming as birds flew at them. The birds seemed used to that commotion because even as the girls jumped around and threw their towels at them, they only moved temporarily, coming back to get the food on the beach.

Gabriella punched Anthony hard on the arm and he winced as the group stepped away from the birds when the motor of a four wheeler became louder. Troy came riding up the beach and towards the group of annoying and pooping birds, causing them to scatter and fly away. His arms were dusted with dirt, but his shirtless chest was clean and the main focus of Monica and Gabriella.

The motor of the four wheeler stopped and Anthony snickered at the somewhat pissed expression on Troy's face.

"It's a thirty dollar fine for feeding the birds. It costs money to clean up the beach," Troy said, handing over a slip of paper to Anthony, who didn't seem too fazed. Instead, he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out two twenties and a ten.

"Here's fifty. Maybe you can get yourself something nice with it," he said.

Troy grabbed the money from his hand and held onto it as he started the motor up again, driving off and leaving the group in a cloud of dust.

"You're an ass hole, Anthony," Gabriella said, shoving him with two hands before jogging towards the lifeguard tower.

Troy was parking his four wheeler underneath the tower when Gabriella finally got there, and he raised his eyebrows when he saw her.

"Hey, sorry about that," Gabriella said, watching as he made his way up the stairs to the tower. She followed him, even though she figured she wasn't supposed to. "They're idiots."

"Whoa there pretty lady, you're not allowed up here," Rocket said. He jumped down from the ledge where he had just been sitting and looked over at Troy, who was pinning the extra money he got from the ticket on a cork board. Gabriella noticed that it wasn't the only large bill pinned up there.

"Please?" Gabriella asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Okay," Rocket said with a shrug. "It's not my rule anyways."

"What's the board for?" Gabriella asked them.

"This is the rich people think we're poor board," Rocket said with a smile. "For some reason people hand over tons of extra money to people who work for them. Idiots, if you ask me."

"Who gets the money?" Gabriella asked, watching Troy pick up a pair of binoculars, scanning the lake with them, not too interested in her being there.

"Whoever rescues the prettiest girl after a few months," Rocket explained. "Troy's in the running for it already."

"Really?" Gabriella asked, trying not to sound too disappointed at the idea of Troy running around the beach playing hero with a bunch of girls.

"Yeah, luckily he rescued you, huh?" Rocket smiled.

"Oh," Gabriella blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

"I don't really need the money, anyways, my dad owns all of the KFC's in a two hundred mile radius of here."

"Oh, wow, you're… you probably…"

"I'm rich," Rocket filled in for her. "Don't be shy."

Gabriella giggled softly, seeing how smiley he was as he talked to her about his random life. Troy stood by the ledge of the tower looking tense and not in the mood to talk.

"Okay."

"I mean, I'm rich compared to Troy, but to you," Rocket started, twisting a piece of her hair around his finger. "You're rich in a lot of different areas. You have me beat."

"Shit, Rocket, did you eat sugar for breakfast again, because you're horny," Troy said, gripping onto Rocket's shoulder and pulling him away from Gabriella.

"Sorry, man, I couldn't resist the flakes!"

"Go do something productive," Troy said to him.

"Fine," Rocket groaned, walking out of the tower with his shoulders slouched.

Gabriella could only laugh as she watched Rocket walked down the beach towards a group of girls. Troy looked into the binoculars again, this time leaning against the wall of the tower.

"Like I said before, I'm sorry about Anthony," Gabriella said to him, walking over to the ledge and leaning against it, looking out at the lake from there.

"It's fine. It happens all of the time."

"You okay?" Gabriella asked, noticing that he didn't have the usual grin on his face that she had noticed when she first started seeing him around.

"Yeah," Troy nodded. "I just didn't get any sleep last night."

"Bartending again?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. "Then early morning construction."

"Job number four."

"The last of my many jobs," Troy said, knowing that she was probably wondering what other jobs he might have.

Gabriella nodded, keeping her eyes on the lake when the conversation didn't continue. She could hear seagulls flying around above them, but the roof of the tower protected them from any surprise droppings.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll let you get to work," Gabriella said, pushing away from the ledge. "You're obviously not in the mood for conversation."

"I'm—"

"No, it's okay, I'll go," Gabriella told him, putting her hands up for him to stop. "Sorry again."

"Gabriella!" Troy watched as she stopped midway down the stairs. He leaned over the ledge so that he could see her better. "The sunset looks really good from up here. Do you want to meet me here around eight? I'll take a nap so I'm not an ass."

"I'll be here," Gabriella replied, smiling brightly even though she tried not to give away the fact that she was excited.

"Good," Troy grinned, running his hand over the back of his neck as she turned to leave. He felt better already as he watched her walk back to her friends with a nice big smile on her face.

...

Gabriella was nervous. It had been a while since she went on a date, if you could call watching a sunset with Hot Bod a date, but in any case, it had been a while. She had changed twice, switched cars three times, and turned home once when she started to doubt if Troy was serious about his offer. She was now sitting in the parking lot, tapping her freshly manicured nails on the steering wheel while she waited for the clock to turn eight o'clock.

The sun was already orange and lowering slowly toward the trees and the beach was closed, leaving it empty and intimidating looking.

"Get a hold of yourself, Gabriella, God," she said to herself, finally taking the keys out of the ignition and opening the door, but not getting out.

"Giving yourself a pep talk?"

"Oh, jeeze!" Gabriella exclaimed, turning to see Troy standing behind her. He was wearing a light white half sleeve shirt that picked up with the wind. His legs were halfway covered in kaki pants. "You're just great at hearing conversations you're not supposed to, aren't you?"

"It's a characteristic I'm very fond of, thank you," Troy said, putting out his hand for her to take it. She did, and he helped her out of the car.

"I like your outfit," Gabriella said with a smile as they walked onto the beach. "I've never seen you out of uniform."

"Ah, well, this is the real me," Troy said with a laugh, pinching his shirt and letting it go.

"It's nice to meet you finally as the real you," Gabriella said jokingly, laughing as they reached the tower.

"After you," Troy said, pointing up the stairs so that she'd take the lead.

"Thanks," Gabriella smiled. "Oh, hey, you cleaned up."

The tower was nearly spotless other than the pair of binoculars sitting on the ledge and the bulletin board with the money pinned on it.

"Rocket must have really liked you. He finally got rid of all the crap he had stored in here so that you'd want to come back," Troy replied, he put his hands in his pockets, looking out at the lake with a smirk.

"Why does everyone call him Rocket? That can't be his real name…" Gabriella started.

"It is," Troy said seriously.

"Oh, sorry!" Gabriella said, covering her mouth with her hand, feeling bad for insulting his friend's name.

"I'm kidding," Troy laughed, nudging her softly with his elbow. "Nah, everyone calls him that because he looks like he just jumped off one. His hair is always in shambles and his sunglasses won't stay on his head straight. The nickname just fits."

"What's his real name?" she asked.

"Brian."

Gabriella laughed, realizing that Rocket definitely didn't look like a Brian.

"Rocket is better," Gabriella agreed. "And now that I think of it, he kind of looks like the KFC guy, but younger."

"He was being modest when he said his dad owned every KFC within two hundred miles of here," Troy replied.

"No way," Gabriella said with a smile.

Troy nodded. "Yup."

"Well, Troy, now that I know everything I could possibly need to know about Rocket, what about you?" Gabriella asked.

"What about you?" Troy said. "I'm sure your life is more interesting."

"No, no, you Googled me, remember? You already know enough about me while I, over here, don't even know your last name."

"Bolton," Troy replied. "Troy Bolton."

He didn't seem too enthusiastic when saying his name; like he wasn't sure he wanted to be that person. Gabriella looked over at him with a confused look on her face, nudging him back.

"He said enthusiastically," Gabriella said sarcastically.

"I don't know, I'm a really boring person. It's always work, work, work with me," Troy said with a shrug.

"Well, why do you work so much?" Gabriella asked, trying to get the conversation going.

"To pay the bills," Troy grinned.

"Wow, this night might be harder than I thought," Gabriella said to him. "Now I'm going to have to start prying."

"Oh no," Troy said teasingly.

"Do you live on your own?" Gabriella asked. "You're probably living like a king with four salaries."

Troy shook his head, perching his elbows on the ledge and looking out at the water. Gabriella did the same but looked at him.

"I live with my mom and sister… well, my sister used to live with us before she went off to school, so it's just me and my mom right now."

"Mama's boy?" Gabriella asked, smiling at him.

"Something like that," Troy laughed.

"I live with my parents too, but they won't actually let me leave," Gabriella told him. "I couldn't exactly live on my own, considering I haven't had a job since the twelfth grade and they control everything."

"Maybe you should get one and start saving up," Troy suggested. "I could help you get one, trust me, I have connections."

"Thanks, but right now my top priority is graduating law school."

"So you want to be a lawyer?" Troy asked, remembering their first conversation about her lost necklace and his doubts about her wanting to actually go to law school.

"Yeah," Gabriella shrugged. "My dad's one, so it's kind of a family thing. I've always wanted to be one…"

"But?" Troy asked once she trailed off. He looked over at her, smiling when they made eye contact.

"I don't want people to be afraid of me like they are of my dad," Gabriella explained. "We can't even go out to dinner without my dad threatening a lawsuit for something as stupid as a stain on a cloth napkin."

"Sounds rough," Troy said.

"I guess it could be worse, right?"

"A lot worse," Troy agreed with a soft smile. They were quiet for a few seconds, watching the sun lower in the sky before Troy said anything else. "You're not what I thought you'd be like," he told her.

"Really?" Gabriella asked, smiling as she wondered if that was a good or bad thing. "What'd you think I'd be like?"

"I don't know, like Monica, who exclaims _ew_ too much, or like Anthony, whose money went straight to his head."

"Well, thank you," she said. "And you're not who everyone else thinks you are."

Troy looked over at Gabriella in surprise, noticing the orange light of the sun shinning on her face. He couldn't help but laugh at her statement, and she looked at him when she heard his laugh.

"Who does everyone think I am?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shrugged, bumping her shoulder with his.

"A poor guy with four jobs," Gabriella said.

"But I am a poor guy with four jobs," he laughed.

"Yeah, but to me you're a _huge_ mystery," Gabriella told him. "And I have a feeling there's a lot more to you than four jobs and a small yellow house on December Street."

"You'll be a good lawyer," Troy said, standing up from his leaning position. "You know how to read people."

She smiled when he grinned at her, and she nodded with confidence, realizing that it meant a lot to hear from someone that they thought she'd be a good lawyer. She didn't say anything as she watched the sun lower behind the trees, only leaving the sky with a soft orange glow.

...

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

"Dang it!" Troy exclaimed, pushing Gabriella away from him when she beat him once again, this time with scissors to his paper. She giggled as she sat on the dock by the lifeguard tower, shaking her head as he said something about quitting.

"No, you're doing fine," Gabriella laughed. "It's fifty-fifty."

"I know when to back down, Gabriella," Troy laughed, pulling her into a side hug, giving her a rough rub on her head so that it messed up her hair. She squealed when he did it, but didn't push him away.

"Okay, okay, we don't have to play anymore," Gabriella said, laughing still. She swung her feet over the edge of the dock, and looked into the water, not being able to see the bottom.

"It's been a long time since I played that," Troy said, leaning back against his hands as he too dangled his feet over the edge.

"It's been a long time since I laughed that hard," Gabriella said with a giggle.

"You need to get out more, Montez," Troy laughed. "Find more interesting people to hang out with."

"Maybe I will," Gabriella stated, looking over at him. "You'll see."

"I'll see," Troy laughed, hearing Gabriella start to laugh again. They had been laughing on and off for a while and neither of them knew why they couldn't control the happy feelings inside of them.

Gabriella leaned back, lying down on the dock so that she could see the star filled sky. Her legs stayed dangling over the side as Troy joined her, looking up at the stars. They stayed quiet, both of them keeping their hands on their stomachs, neither of them touching each other as they stayed in their spots.

"Do you ever feel like stars are a lot less magical after learning about them in school?" Gabriella asked him.

"I never took astronomy," Troy said to her. "So stars were never ruined for me," he laughed.

"Lucky," Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah, business was more up my ally," Troy told her. "I could never stay awake for science class."

"Did you study business in college?" Gabriella asked, casually bringing up the school topic since she was wondering if the guy lying down next to her was a drop out or just not into the college thing.

"Yeah, I have a Masters in it from the University of Michigan."

Gabriella looked over at him, not commenting right away. He turned his head too, looking over at her when she didn't say anything, which surprised him.

"You have a Masters in business, yet you choose to collect trash?" Gabriella asked, not comprehending why a smart, motivated person wouldn't live life to its fullest.

"Is that a crime?" Troy asked, putting his hands under his head. Gabriella flipped over on her stomach, which made her right next to him now. She looked down at him.

"No, but why'd you choose four jobs instead of just one stable one?"

Troy raised his eyebrows at her, sighing as he looked up at the sky.

"Like I said when I first talked to you, I want to be everything."

"But you can't—"

"Okay, okay, I already heard you the first time," Troy said, interrupting her so that she couldn't tell him that he couldn't be what he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just don't understand," Gabriella explained. She folded her arms out in front of her and rested her head on them.

"Let's just say I have a similar dilemma as you," he replied. "I don't want to be like my father."

"Why? What's your dad like?"

"_Now_ you're starting to pry," Troy told her, smiling softly.

"Sorry, habit. I always want the truth, nothing but."

"I get it," Troy nodded.

They both looked up when they heard a snapping sound coming from the beach and noticed that people were walking through the parking lot. Gabriella sat up, taking her feet away from the edge of the water just in case there was something in the water.

"Is there someone trespassing on the beach?" Gabriella asked.

"Just us," Troy whispered.

Gabriella looked at Troy with wide eyes, wondering if they would get in trouble for being on the beach after hours. He grinned, lessening her panic since he seemed to be joking with her.

"You're always the jokester, aren't you?" Gabriella asked as she started to stand up, not wanting to be on the dock anymore now that they were hearing sounds.

"Where are you going?" Troy asked with a laugh, getting up too.

"I'm starting to get creeped out. I think there's someone on the beach other than us," Gabriella explained.

"I guess we'll have to investigate," Troy said, running down the dock and onto the beach, leaving Gabriella in the dark as he disappeared out of her view.

"Oh, great," Gabriella said loudly so that wherever he was, he could hear her. "You're going to leave a beautiful girl alone on an empty beach, I'll probably get—"

Gabriella screamed when she was grabbed from behind and lifted in the air. She heard Troy's laugh in her ear as she swatted at his arms.

"You are such a worrier," Troy laughed, setting her down and loosening his arms around her.

Gabriella turned around so that she was facing him, and he kept his arms around her waist, resting his hands on the small of her back. She looked up at him, shaking her head. He had his usual grin decorating his face, which made her anger only last a few more seconds.

"You should be more careful, if I didn't know that was you, I probably would have knocked you out," Gabriella said.

"Sure," Troy said with a nod, doubting that she would have been able to do anything at all.

"Hey! I'm tough!" Gabriella exclaimed, socking him on the arm.

"I believe you," Troy said back, laughing as he grabbed his arm. "That felt more like a tap though."

"Whatever," Gabriella said quietly, shaking her head at him as her hands rested on his arms.

Troy smirked down at her, taking the quiet moment they were having now to lean toward her. Gabriella raised herself up on the tips of her toes slightly, feeling her heart jumping inside of her as she too leaned forward. Just as their lips were mere seconds away from touching, the two were blinded by a light.

"You're trespassing," they heard someone say. Troy and Gabriella squinted, holding their hands up to block the light. They opened their eyes fully when the light was taken off of their faces and pointed to the ground.

Gabriella couldn't help but nudge Troy hard in the gut when she saw two police officers standing before them.

"No, Harvey, it's me, Troy," Troy said with a shake of is head.

The police officer with the light squinted, laughing when he saw the familiar face.

"Ah, Troy, that _is_ you," He replied. "But she's not off the hook."

"She's with me!" Troy said quickly, holding his left hand up in protest. Gabriella looked over at him, smiling softly when he quickly came to her defense and how easily he said she was with him. "Obviously," he added, pointing to the barely-there distance between the two.

The officers exchanged looks, grinning obviously.

"Alright, you two, you can go back to whatever it was that you were about to do before we got here," Harvey said with another laugh. "Sorry."

Troy simply stood in his spot next to Gabriella and watched as the two men who just interrupted an almost-kiss got back in their squad car and pulled away. Gabriella laughed next to him.

"It's getting kind of late," Gabriella said, looking up at Troy. "I should probably get going."

Troy closed his eyes, sighing.

"Sure," Troy nodded. "I'll walk you to your car."

Gabriella nodded back, smiling as she walked up the beach, holding her shoes in her right hand. Once to her car she opened the door and sat down, purposely eliminating the awkwardness there would be if she stayed out of her car and figured out if they should or should not kiss goodbye.

"Goodnight, Gabriella," Troy said as he stood a few steps away from her car, his hands in his pockets while the wind picked up his white shirt in the wind, making him look even more attractive to Gabriella as she placed her hands on her steering wheel.

"Goodnight, Troy," she said with a smile, pulling out of her parking spot. "I hope to see you soon."

With that, she pulled away, leaving Troy alone in the parking lot by the beach wondering what it would be like to be with someone as beautiful as she was.

* * *

**Like it? Review!**

**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! I feel like it's been a really long time since I updated, but in reality it's only been a week! I love all of you who are reading and reviewing! All of the feedback has been wonderful! You guys crack me up! Really, the reviews get me through boring school days and embarrasing trips to DSW with my mother! (If you just went "huh?", let me explain: my mother decided to nearly scream out across the heels isle of DSW if I knew the attractive shoes salesman from school. Grreeaatt.) This chapter is shorter than the last few, but I think it kind of sets everything up for Troy and Gabriella. Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter five

Troy yawned as he lay on his couch with the remote control to the TV in his hand. He was currently in a pair of basketball shorts and a white t-shirt, which only highlighted his light sunburn. After returning from the beach he ended up here, on the couch while his mom slept late into the night. His hair ruffled underneath his head as he rested it on a pillow, lazily looking at the TV while trying to stay awake in order to see the last few minutes of a baseball game.

From outside, the bright lights of a pair of headlights shinned through his family room window, drawing his attention away from the TV. He sat up from the couch, walking over to the front door when he heard the car door slam and then a pitter patter of bare feet. When he opened the front door, he saw Gabriella walking around her car.

He walked out of his house, shutting the door behind him, standing on the front porch watching her since she was still oblivious of him. She looked startled when she saw him there, but smiled anyways, stopping on the sidewalk leading up to the porch.

They stood there for a minute, just staring at each other because it had been at least a month since they last saw each other. Gabriella spoke first, and Troy watched as she held onto a pair of high heels. Gabriella's black dress clung to her and her hair was curled, but looked like it had danced around all night so was now flat.

"I graduated today," Gabriella said to him, her smile growing.

Troy's heart thudded against his chest and he smiled, keeping his eyes on hers.

"Wow," he said, stepping down from the porch and taking a few steps over to her. "Finally, huh?"

"Yeah," Gabriella breathed. "Finally." She seemed out of breath as she stood there, like she had ran herself there instead of drove.

"What brings you here this late?" Troy asked, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I'm surprised you remembered where I lived."

Gabriella grinned, looking down the street toward the beach and then back at him.

"This is going to sound weird," she told him.

Troy looked at her in confusion, but smiled anyway, taking a few more steps toward her so that he could see her face better in the dark.

"I won't laugh," Troy said with a smirk. "I promise."

Gabriella shifted in her spot somewhat nervously, looking over at Troy for a long drawn out minute before finally saying what she wanted to say.

"Well, I graduated today, like I said," Gabriella started, watching as Troy nodded for her to continue. "And I walked up on stage when I heard my name, and everyone was so excited, and then one of my professors handed me my diploma… and do you want to know what I thought in that moment?" she asked.

Troy shrugged, trying to come up with a good guess, but couldn't.

"What?"

"I thought to myself, 'huh, I wonder what Troy's doing right now?'"

Troy's eyebrows rose in surprise as he put his hands in his jean pockets. She sent him an embarrassed smile, like she couldn't believe that she was thinking of a guy she barely knew in such an important moment either.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I thought of you today too," Troy said with a short laugh.

"Really?" Gabriella asked, nodding her head slowly as she thought about it. "Well, then maybe I just thought of you because you thought of me… you know like how some people say your ears ring when someone is talking about you?"

"Yeah, maybe that's it," Troy replied.

They stood there for a moment, looking at each other as the night sky grew darker.

"I guess since that's it, I should get back to my graduation party. I'm sure my parents have already sent out a search and rescue team," Gabriella said with a smile, backing up towards her car.

Troy nodded, wanting to continue the conversation with her since it had been so long since they last talked, but he knew that a mansion full of people were waiting on her, and she probably wouldn't want to stick around for much longer.

"Troy," Gabriella said as she tossed her shoes in the back of her car, snapping Troy out of his thoughts. "I don't think that was it," she said, coming back around her shinning red convertible.

"What do you mean?" Troy asked.

"I shouldn't have thought of you," she told him, taking a deep breath. "I shouldn't have thought of a guy I met at a beach who I only talked to for a few hours before."

Troy opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off.

"But I did," Gabriella said, shaking her head at the battle going on inside of her head. "That says something."

"I'm not sure what that says," Troy said slowly, wondering what she was trying to say.

"Neither do I," Gabriella replied, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm really confused."

"Okay," Troy nodded. "Then we're on the same page."

Gabriella giggled, shaking her head again at the fact that she had literally gone from dancing at her graduation party to standing barefooted on Troy's sidewalk.

"I'm going to go," Gabriella said to him. "I'm sorry for interrupting your night."

"Don't be," Troy said to her. "It was good seeing you after all this time."

Gabriella smiled as she walked up to him, leaning forward to give him a kiss on his cheek, and when she pulled away his eyes were closed, like he was taking in the moment.

"Goodnight," she said softly, taking her hands off of his arms, and walking back to her car. As she pulled away, Troy waited on the sidewalk, watching as her tail lights winked at him as she turned the corner, disappearing out of his view.

...

"So, who was that girl last night?"

Troy looked up from the bowl of cereal he was currently eating as he leaned up against the kitchen counter, after staring with a dazed look in his eyes at the TV in the family room.

"What?" Troy asked, catching a drip of milk in his hand that had cascaded out of his mouth when he talked.

"That girl," Mrs. Bolton said with a grin as she limped around the kitchen with her new walking cast, one that allowed her to walk around without her crutches. She poured some cream into her cup of coffee and looked over at her son. "The one with the expensive convertible."

Troy rolled his eyes, knowing that his mom always had an expensive taste and could spot anything worth something.

"Were you up spying last night?" Troy asked her as he set his half empty bowl at the bottom of the sink.

"No, I just heard talking from my bedroom window, and I looked to see who was up at such a ridiculous hour. To my surprise it was you," Mrs. Bolton said with a raise of her eyebrow.

"She's a friend, ma, okay? I need to go to work," Troy said grabbing his wallet and sparkling silver whistle from the counter.

"She was cute!" She exclaimed after him, hurrying her comment as he walked towards the front door. "It's been a while since you met someone."

"I could say the same to you," Troy said with a pointed look as he opened the front door. Mrs. Bolton sent him somewhat of a glare and they silently argued with their eyes.

"I'd like it if for now, we didn't talk about her," Troy said to his mom, stepping out of his house and closing the door behind him.

...

"Troy man, look at this one!" Rocket exclaimed as he leaned over the ledge of the lifeguard tower with his worn binoculars in his hands. Troy turned around from the corkboard in the back of the small room and rolled his eyes.

"Rocket, I know, I saw the girl in the pink bikini on my way up here," Troy replied as he pinned a crisp twenty dollar bill on the corkboard.

"Nah-a, I'm talking about a new girl this time," Rocket said, licking his chapped lips as he leaned further over the edge.

"Would you stop?" Troy asked, walking over to his friend. He leaned against the ledge, propping his elbows up on the long piece of wood as Rocket watched the many visitors to the small beach area. "I swear, one day you're going to get slapped by one of these girls."

"It'd be worth it," Rocket said, setting down the binoculars.

"I don't get you sometimes," Troy told him, flicking a lone pebble off of the ledge, watching it fall towards the sand below them. "You watch all of these girls everyday, but you never actually seem interested in dating them."

"They're not as beautiful once you get to know 'em," Rocket explained.

"Ouch," Troy laughed, dodging a volleyball that almost hit him in the face. He looked down at the group by the net, seeing a blonde waving at him.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed as he retrieved the ball from the tower.

Troy only sent her a smile as he threw it back at her, not seeing Rocket shake his head because he had clearly missed the intentional serve-gone-array. Rocket stretched his arms above his head, yawning as the water shinned as the sun fell upon it.

"You're either clueless because you're tired from your four jobs, or you're totally oblivious to pretty women because you have a woman in particular that you're thinking of."

"What?" Troy asked, pushing off of the ledge so he was standing up straight and able to see Rocket's face.

"Dude, that girl totally hit that ball over here on purpose and you barely noticed," Rocket noted.

"So?"

"So, dude, who's the girl putting your hot girl radar on mute?" Rocket asked him with a shove.

Troy chuckled, wondering where he came up with half of the stuff he said. He shrugged, noticing that one of the lenses in Rocket's sunglasses were cracked, adding even more crazy to his usual disheveled look.

"No one is putting my hot girl radar on mute," Troy told him.

"Listen, man, I may have some nuts and bolts lose up in here," Rocket started as he twirled his finger by his head. "But I know something is going on."

Troy hesitated for a moment, wondering if he really wanted to start a serious conversation with Rocket.

"I ran into Gabriella last night," Troy said.

"Ah! Now we're getting somewhere, man. Where'd you run into her at?"

"I guess we didn't really run into each other… she stopped by my house. She graduated and thought of me, so she wanted to say hi."

"She wanted to say hi?" Rocket repeated, snickering slightly. "Yeah, I bet that's what she wanted."

"Stop, dude," Troy said with a shake of his head, closing his eyes momentarily.

"Okay, okay, I should be more respectable," Rocket said in a mocking tone. He raised his eyebrows at Troy, twirling his whistle around his neck. "You got the hots for Rich Girl."

"This is exactly why I didn't want to say anything," Troy said, pulling his sunglasses over his eyes as he went towards the stairs. "You can't be serious."

"I'm sorry!" Rocket exclaimed. "She's a hot, rich girl. She's perfect, I'm sorry."

"That's exactly why I'm not going after her," Troy told him honestly as he stopped halfway down the stairs and looked at him. "She's perfect. There's no way she'd want to spend her time around a guy like me."

"Hey, you used to be a hot, rich guy before, remember?" Rocket replied while standing at the top of the stairs.

"I'm not that guy anymore," Troy said, putting his arms out as if showing off where he was now- working on a beach instead of living on one.

"He's in there somewhere," Rocket said to him. "Hey, I'm richer than rich and I'm working here too! I just know what's important to me now."

"And what's that? Hot babes?" Troy joked.

"You know, I don't really know." Rocket said honestly, peering out at the beach with his hands on his hips. He looked like a superhero surveying a crime infested town, except he didn't have a cape and his nose was sunburned. "I just know it's not money."

Troy nodded, walking down the rest of the steps so that his feet were finally in the sand.

"For someone with nuts and bolts loose, you're a smart guy," Troy called up to him, walking away towards the parking lot. He had another job to get to- but it was going to have to wait a few minutes longer. Right now he needed to talk to a beautiful girl who was suddenly indescribably important to him.

...

Standing on Monica's front porch, Troy was nervous, but standing in front of Gabriella's house after finding out where she lived from Monica, he was a cowering puppy on the expensive looking curb. He was currently dressed in his trash collecting jump suit, but there was no garbage truck stalled behind him or trash to collect around Gabriella's place. He was supposed to be at work, but would have to be late in order to talk to Gabriella first.

After a few minutes of convincing himself to go up to the house, he was finally standing on Gabriella's front porch with his finger hovering over the doorbell. Just as he was about to press the white oval, the door opened, revealing an older man with hair dyed black wearing golf clothing.

"Don't tell me we missed trash pick up again," he said with an aggravated shake of his head. "I'm always forgetting to take out the trash!"

Troy's eyes widened slightly because he didn't take in account that someone other than Gabriella could answer the door. He assumed the tall man standing before him was Mr. Montez, and he was taken back by how intimidating he looked.

"Oh, no sir, I was just…"

"Dad! I can't find my other golf shoe!"

Troy breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the familiar voice coming from behind Mr. Montez. Gabriella appeared next to her dad within seconds, and her eyes brightened when she saw Troy.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, grinning widely. "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd say hi since I was close by," Troy said, awkwardly glancing at Mr. Montez. Mr. Montez was clearly surprised that his daughter was somehow acquainted with the trash guy, and the look in his brown eyes gave off disapproval.

"Well, hi!" Gabriella giggled, stepping out onto the porch. She sent her dad a look, as if wondering what he was still doing standing by the door. "I got the door, Dad."

Mr. Montez backed away from the porch slowly, eyeing Troy before closing the door with a hesitate push.

"Sorry, he doesn't get out much," Gabriella joked after her dad closed the front door.

Troy laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand before looking back up at Gabriella with a shy grin. Gabriella stood grinning too with one golf shoe on and one missing.

"I was actually hoping you might want to hang out sometime," Troy admitted, noticing how her eyes gleamed with hope.

"Yeah," Gabriella nodded, smiling still. "When?"

"When?"

Gabriella giggled as Troy repeated the question, like he hadn't thought that far. Troy opened his mouth to reply, but realized that he didn't exactly know when he was free next.

"I'm free this weekend," Gabriella said with a shrug. "I mean… if you are."

"I'm free," Troy nodded.

"Okay…"

"Okay, well, I guess I'll see you this weekend," Troy said, turning to leave the porch. He was halfway down the sidewalk when he heard Gabriella calling his name, walking after him.

"Where are we meeting?" Gabriella asked.

"The beach," Troy said with a laugh, shaking his head at how much of a dork he was being. He couldn't remember the last time he asked a girl out, which was most likely why he could barely say the right thing in this particular moment.

"Awesome," Gabriella smiled. "What are we doing?"

"I haven't thought that far yet," Troy grinned.

Gabriella laughed, turning and walking back towards her porch as Troy walked down her driveway, turning every once in a while to get a glimpse of her.

"I'll be there at six!" Gabriella shouted from her front door.

Troy sent her a thumb up as he laughed at himself because he even forgot to tell her what time to meet him at the beach in his dorky moment.

* * *

**Like it? Review!**

**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I haven't updated in TWO weeks and I feel terrible about it! That's the longest I've gone with out updating on my story! I hope it will never happen again! Fanfiction was acting funky for me last weekend when I tried to update, so I had to wait until today! Thank you all so much for the reviews! Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter six

Troy walked down the dock by the lifeguard tower later that week with a tackle box in his hand and Rocket at his heels. It was a half hour before Gabriella would be meeting him there and he was currently loading a small row boat with fishing supplies.

"Are you nervous?" Rocket asked, holding the rope of the row boat securely so that his friend wouldn't float away as he set down the tackle box.

"Nope," Troy said, sounding somewhat aggravated as he jumped back on the dock and walked past Rocket. Rocket set down the rope around a post and followed Troy.

"What are you going to wear?"

"This," Troy replied, pointing to his kaki shorts and black t-shirt.

"Are you sure you don't want to wear anything nicer?"  
"I'm going fishing. I think this is fine," Troy said slowly, trying to make sure Rocket understood what he was saying. After a half hour of being followed around by Rocket, he was starting to get annoyed. Troy huffed when Rocket ran into him when he was picking up a life jacket and turned to stare at the blonde.

"Rocket, is there a reason why you're following me?" Troy asked, sending his friend a wondering look.

"I just want to make sure everything is going to go wonderfully!" Rocket explained, putting his hands up in defense.

"And how is critiquing my outfit doing that?"

Rocket shrugged, looking bashful suddenly.

"I was just saying. I guess it doesn't matter though, because you wouldn't be able to look half as good as she is," Rocket said.

"How do you know what she looks like right now?" Troy asked. He slowly turned when he saw Rocket look beyond him and smiled when he saw Gabriella walking down the beach in a black sundress while holding onto her black flip flops, unaware of the two guys watching her.

When she looked up from brushing off what Troy assumed was lint from her dress, she smiled, her eyes warming at the sight of him.

"Hey," she said softly. "I'm a little early."

"No, you're just in time," Rocket said, taking the life jacket from Troy and swiftly linking his arm with Gabriella's. "Let me escort you to your boat."

"Why thank you, fine sir," Gabriella said jokingly, winking at Troy as she walked past him with Rocket. Troy shook his head as he followed the two, now a third wheel to his own date.

"And we are here," Rocket said when they approached the end of the dock. He displayed the boat like Vanna White would have if she was displaying a letter on her magical screens.

Gabriella giggled at the little boat bobbing in the water and looked over at Troy who was now sending Rocket a get-away look.

"So, Rocket, are you coming with us too?" Gabriella asked, smiling over at him.

"Oh, no," Rocket said with a shake of his head, letting go of Gabriella's arm. "I'm leaving right now actually."

Troy exchanged a looked with Gabriella when Rocket didn't move, but looked out at the boat like he wished he was going on the date with them. Troy cleared his throat, snapping Rocket out of his thoughts.

"I'm leaving," Rocket said quickly, waving at his friend who was still giving him an annoyed look. "Have fun you two."

"We'll try," Gabriella said with a smirk, watching Rocket walk down the dock with a skip in his step. Troy and Gabriella turned to each other when Rocket was climbing the stairs to the lifeguard tower.

"Alright," Troy said while letting out a sign of relief. He clapped his hands together, turning towards the boat. "As you can see, we're going fishing."

Gabriella wrinkled her nose, making Troy laugh as he stepped into the boat, holding his hands out to his sides to keep himself balanced as the boat shook underneath him.

"Don't tell me you've never gone fishing before," Troy said as he held Gabriella's hand while she stepped into the boat, squealing when she felt the boat move. She sat down quickly, gripping the sides of the boat tightly.

"No, I have," Gabriella said with a nod. "But I don't actually do the fishing… people do that for me."

She looked down into the murky water as Troy pushed them away from the dock, sticking the plastic row he had into the water and then out again to change the side he was rowing in.

"That's no fun," Troy said with a smile. "You'll be fishing yourself today."

"That's what you say now," Gabriella started, grinning. "Just wait until I almost tip over the boat or something, then you'll regret letting me fish."

"I see what you're doing," Troy said with a laugh, looking behind him briefly as he rowed further and further away from the dock, closer to the center of the lake. "You're trying to get me to change my mind about letting you fish because you're afraid."

"I am not," Gabriella replied stubbornly.

"Okay," Troy smiled, chuckling softly.

...

"We've been at this for hours," Gabriella said as she held onto a fishing pool, propping her chin up on the palm of her hand. "It's getting dark."

"We've been at this for forty minutes," Troy laughed. "I'm starting to get the impression that sitting still is not for you."

"Oh no, I like sitting still, but under a beaming sun in a bikini… on a yacht," Gabriella explained. "I don't know if you've noticed Troy," Gabriella said in a whisper. "But this _ain't_ a yacht."

Troy chuckled, casting his line out as Gabriella wheeled her line back in. He knew that taking someone like Gabriella out on a tiny boat was a risk, but he had a feeling that she would eventually have fun when she stopped worrying about the different between a row boat and a yacht.

"I think you got something," Troy said, noticing how Gabriella's fishing line was being tugged into the water.

"Oh my gosh!" Gabriella exclaimed, turning the handle slowly so that the fish wouldn't fall off. "I don't want to catch anything!"

"What do you mean?" Troy laughed, shaking his head when Gabriella tried handing over her fishing rod to him.

"I don't want a fish by me," Gabriella told him.

"It won't bite," Troy reassured her.

Gabriella squealed when they saw that a fish was now shinning in the water as it was pulled towards the surface. Troy looked over the edge, grabbing the fish when it was finally out of the water.

"Ew! Put it back!" Gabriella exclaimed, setting down her fishing rod when Troy unhooked the fish. The fish gulped for its return back to the water, but Troy only splashed some water on it instead of putting it back.

"You should put it back since you caught it," Troy said, reaching out his arms to put the fish closer to her.

"Nope, you do it," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. "Hurry, before it dies!"

"It won't die," Troy said with a laugh. "At least give it a little pet."

"No way," Gabriella replied. "It's germy."

"Just do it."

"No."

"Before I throw it at you," Troy said seriously, holding the fish in his hand still. Gabriella reached her index finger out, running it over the fish quickly so that she wouldn't have to experience it getting thrown at her. Troy tossed the fish back in, watching it dive through the water before looking back at a terrified Gabriella.

"I'm not fishing anymore."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Troy said, rinsing his hands in the water before picking up the rows and paddling so that they were moving.

Gabriella looked up at the sky as the two of them sat in the small boat without talking. The sky was partially cloudy and a soft breeze made Gabriella shiver as it grew later. Monica's house was just leaving her view as Troy led them to a place that was still a mystery to Gabriella.

"Where are we going?" Gabriella asked, looking at the houses that she could see peeking out from the evergreens lining the shore.

"Well, since I knew you'd probably hate fishing, I made sure to have a back up plan…"

"Your fishing trip was very thoughtful," Gabriella told him, hoping he didn't think she wasn't having a good time. If she forgot about the fish, she would easily be able to say she enjoyed her time talking with Troy.

"Rocket told me that teaching a girl new things is the way to her heart… that's the last time I listen to him," Troy joked, smiling at Gabriella.

"He wasn't completely wrong," Gabriella replied, winking at Troy as she propped her chin on her hand, looking across at him.

Troy grinned, continuing to row without another word until he was nearing the other side of the lake. Gabriella's eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw a fire burning on a secluded beach as Troy slowed by the shore. Beyond the fire, up through the trees, she could see only a glimpse of a large house sparkling with glowing lamps on the inside.

"Wow…" Gabriella breathed as Troy pulled the boat up on shore. "Where are we?"

Gabriella took Troy's hand when he held it out for her so that she could safely step out of the boat and onto the beach. She tossed her flip flops onto the sand, leaving them there as Troy took her over to the camp fire.

"This is Rocket's place," Troy told her, sitting down on a makeshift log. Gabriella sat down next to him, smiling when he put his arm around her, causing her once cold skin to warm. "When he heard we were seeing each other again, he wanted to help me plan… for a ladies man, he's pretty into the romantic stuff."

"That's so sweet," Gabriella replied in a whisper, like the moment called for hushed tones and secretive glances.

"So, what do you think of the evening now?" Troy asked with a chuckle. "Is the view making up for the fish?"

Gabriella nodded as she looked past the fire at the glittering houses and light house across the water.

"It's perfect. I don't remember the last time I sat by a camp fire like this. I almost feel like we should be singing corny camp songs."

"That could be arranged," Troy joked, rubbing Gabriella's bare arm when he felt her shiver.

Gabriella smiled, feeling the goose bumps forming on her skin because of Troy's touch. She inhaled his scent, closing her eyes briefly to take in the moment.

"Did you ever find your golf shoe?"

"What?" Gabriella laughed when she heard the random question. She looked over at him, realizing how close they were when Troy turned to her too.

"Your golf shoe. When I went over to your house the other day to ask you out you were missing a shoe."

"I found it," Gabriella smiled. "And I whipped my dad's colleagues' butts."

"Ah, so you're a pro golfer now? What else don't I know about you?" Troy grinned.

"I'm surprised you didn't find that out in your Google search of me," Gabriella replied, giving him a pointed look.

Troy nodded, moving his arm from around her, leaning his elbows on his knees and looked next to him at her. She was suddenly cold without his warm embrace.

"I'm sorry that I had to Google you," Troy said, sensing she didn't like the idea that all of her personal information was on the web.

"It's your job, right?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded again, smirking when she saw a smile forming on her face, like she was happy just by looking at him.

"Okay, since I Googled you, you can ask me a question that you want answered," Troy said, moving down from the log so that he was sitting in the sand and leaning up against the log. "It's only fair."

Gabriella joined him, brushing off her dress when a few grains of sand became visible against the black fabric. She thought long and hard about what she wanted to know about him, and finally, after remembering the conversation they had about their fathers weeks ago when they watched the sunset together, she knew what she wanted to ask him.

"Tell me about your dad. Why don't you want to be like him?" Gabriella asked, seeing Troy tense when she asked her question. He ran his hand through his hair, finally shaking his head after a few seconds.

"Ask about something else."

"I'm curious about that though. I don't think I could find that answer on Google."

"I'm sure you could," Troy answered, looking into the fire, feeling the heat on his face.

Gabriella nudged him before looping her arm around his, entwining her fingers with his. The sound of crickets gave Gabriella the impression that they were hidden somewhere close by, but she didn't worry about the bugs, she kept her eyes on the shaggy haired guy next to her; one with four mediocre jobs and a pricey masters degree in business.

"My dad's dead," Troy told her, giving her a sad smile when she looked alarm, like she wished she never would have asked.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. She looked away from him toward the light house and wished she could be over there, alone, and without an awkward silence looming.

"It's fine," Troy replied, rubbing his hand over her arm. He could tell she was embarrassed for asking. "I figured you'd ask eventually."

"We don't have to talk about it," Gabriella said with another shake of her head. "Seriously, you don't have to talk about him."

"He was a business man," Troy started, knowing that if he didn't tell her now, he'd never be able to, especially because she didn't look like she'd ever utter even a similar question again.

Gabriella opened her mouth to say again that he didn't have to explain, but she let him continue as he looked over at her with a coy smirk. She rested her chin on his shoulder, looking at the fire as he filled in a few blanks.

"… and he owned a business that was pretty successful, so he wasn't really around much because he was always at work. He got sick when I was a senior in high school, he had this weird lung thing going on, I don't know."

"He died shortly after, before graduation, and my life was officially changed."

"I'm so sorry, Troy," Gabriella said to him, seeing a mix of emotions rush through his eyes. He shrugged, like she was apologizing about a missed phone call. "That must have been hard."

"Only at the funeral," Troy replied. "When everyone asked what we were going to do with his business… and who his fortune was being left to."

"I don't want to be rude, but I'm assuming that fortune wasn't left to you."

"His business partners stole the business and we were left with enough to put me through college," Troy explained.

"That's terrible," Gabriella exclaimed, lifting her chin from his shoulder. She looked at him seriously, but he didn't appear concerned. "People can't just steal businesses from people; your dad had to have had a contract."

"There's always a loop hole," Troy answered. "But it's old news now," he added. "I'm getting by, it just took some adjusting."

Gabriella scooted closer to Troy, keeping her arm linked with his. She sighed as his explanation sunk in. She tried to picture Troy in a life filled with carefree fun and adventures in fast cars and boats, and to her surprise, she suddenly could.

"I suddenly get why you were unimpressed by my convertible that night I drove you home," Gabriella replied, laughing softly. "You had one just like it."

"In black," Troy grinned, causing a breath of relief to leave Gabriella, glad that they were now laughing and drifting away from the sadness her question presented.

"Ohh," Gabriella laughed, shoving him lightly. "So what other lavish things have you experienced?"

Troy laughed, unlinking his arm from hers and instead putting it around her. He thought about her question for a few seconds, hearing her laugh close to his ear.

"The yachts, designer shoes, spoiled friends, controlling parents, out of control parties… the list goes on," Troy answered.

"Sounds like my life." Gabriella laughed, looking at him with a smile. He played with the hair that rested on her shoulders and it caused goose bumps to form on her arms. "Do you ever miss it?"

Troy shrugged, smelling the scent of rain mix in with the smell of the fire.

"Sometimes," he replied honestly. "But that's usually when the bills come and two of my pay checks go to paying them off, or when my mom circles expensive things in magazines just like she used to when we actually had money and she could afford them."

"I can't imagine that happening to my mom. My dad buys her everything she circles," Gabriella said with a soft smile.

"My dad always would too."

The sad smile on Troy's smile had Gabriella's heart swelling with emotion.

"Thank you for telling me all of this, Troy," Gabriella said. "You're not a huge mystery anymore."

"I didn't plan on dumping all of that information on you like that, but I didn't feel right not saying anything."

"I actually like that you're willing to tell me that kind of stuff," Gabriella admitted. "None of the guys in my life talk about anything other than work, hot babes, and alcohol."

"Well," Troy started, looking her in the eyes with a smile. "I used to be one of those guys."

"I'm relieved you're different now."

"I'm happy to hear that," Troy replied.

Gabriella looked away from Troy's mesmerizing eyes when she heard a long rumble of thunder. The sky's stars were covered by thick clouds, and just as Gabriella was sending Troy a worried look, the clouds let drops of rain loose, moving Troy and Gabriella away from their spots. They ran toward the trees hiding Rocket's house as the rain poured down on them.

Troy laughed loudly as he pulled Gabriella underneath a tree, hearing her laughing and shrieking all at the same time. The thunder rumbled above them as they were shielded temporarily from the rain. Gabriella could see the fire dwindle because of the rain and within seconds it was out. The boat that they had brought over to the edge of the shore moved with the waves of the water.

"We have to get out of here," Troy said loudly in order to be heard over the rain.

"And where do you suggest we go?"

"Come on," Troy laugh, grabbing her hand in his and running quickly, but slow enough so that he wasn't dragging her along. Her grip on his hand tightened as a flash of lightening brightened the sky.

They dodged branched of pine trees as they ran up a dirt pathway up Rocket's backyard. Within a few minutes, Troy and Gabriella were at the top of the driveway, hiding from the rain underneath the protruding roof of the garage. Gabriella giggled against Troy's chest as she set her head against his soggy t-shirt, and he wrapped his arms around her tighter, keeping her warm as the rain poured down harder.

"I bet you didn't plan on this happening," Gabriella said to Troy as she looked up at him, smiling.

"Oh no," Troy laughed. "But my plan went array hours ago. I've been winging it ever since you caught the fish."

"I was just forgetting about the fish…" Gabriella replied with a shake of her head, hearing Troy's laugh and feeling it rumble in his chest. "How long do you think we'll be stuck here?"

"Hopefully a while," Troy replied.

Gabriella could feel the smile tug at her lips when she looked up at him to see that he was being completely serious. She didn't reply as she set her head on his chest and looked out at the rain that bounced on the driveway.

...

The damp pavement of Gabriella's driveway reflected the light from the moon above her house. Her shoes were in her hands, and she was making her way up to the front door, where it was left open for her return. The porch lights made her squint, but she walked past them quickly, closing and locking the front door behind her after stepping into the dark house. Her hair rested on her back, and it soaked through the fabric of her dress. A smile stayed permanent on her lips as she floated up the stairs and toward her room.

"You're home late."

Gabriella didn't reply to the voice coming from the dark room down the hallway, she simply flicked on the light of her room and closed the door behind her, daydreaming all the way to her bathroom about the feeling of Troy's hand running through her hair as he kissed her.

Before today, Gabriella would have thought falling for Troy Bolton wasn't something she would do, but now that she caught a fish with him, ran through the rain with him carelessly, and kissed him at the bottom of her driveway, not falling for him seemed impossible.

* * *

**Like it? Review, review, review!**

**Much love, **

**unknownbyhim22**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, hello! I'm updating on time! Thank you all for reviewing and reading my story! I love seeing so many new usernames/people reading my stuff. It really means a lot to me to see people keep coming back to read each of my stories. I can't thank you all enough!**

**I hope all of you got the chance to see Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure! It was SO. CUTE. It showed her house in beginning, which was exactly how I pictured it to be. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter seven

The cereal that Gabriella was eating was soggy and starting to sink, but she continued to shovel in the spoonfuls of Special K. The doors leading out onto the backyard patio were open, and the white curtains moved slowly with the wind. Her eyes were focused on a robin splashing in the cement bird bath by the stone sidewalk that wrapped around the pool.

"Gabriella, honey, do you have plans today?"

Gabriella tapped her spoon on the bottom of her white bowl, and kept her eyes on the robin. The sky was a bright blue, and the sidewalk was dry, with no sign of the rain that had poured down late that night. She was still currently day dreaming about Troy.

"Gabriella!"

Gabriella looked away from the backyard and blinked her eyes when she felt that her contacts had dried from her staring. Her mom and dad were standing in the kitchen, both looking at her with concerned expressions.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have plans today?"

"Oh," Gabriella said with a nod, smiling quickly at her parents. "I was thinking about looking for a job."

Her dad laughed, setting the newspaper he had been holding, on the kitchen island. He leaned against one of the bar stools and continued to look at her.

"You can work for me, Gabriella. I thought that was the plan."

"It was, Dad, but I kind of want to see if I can get a job myself, before I take the job you're handing me."

"You'll waste a lot of valuable time searching for a place to work," Mrs. Montez said as she sat down next to Gabriella.

"Taking the job from Dad would be too easy," Gabriella told her. "Thanks, though."

"Whatever you say," Mr. Montez said.

Gabriella stood from her chair at the kitchen table and walked over to the sink, dumping the rest of her cereal into it.

"How was your night out last night?" Mrs. Montez asked, motioning for Mr. Montez to walk over the newspaper. He did, and she peeled it open and folded it backwards, reading the business section.

"It was…" Gabriella paused, smiling softly as she thought about her night with Troy. "Good. I had fun."

"Well, that's good," Mrs. Montez said, pulling the newspaper closer to her face so that she could better read the articles.

Gabriella nodded, escaping the kitchen while she had the chance, while her parents were too busy to notice the large smile on her face that was only there because of the boy they most likely would rather not have her date.

...

The line into the local zoo was long and winding down the sidewalk toward the parking lot, but Gabriella and Troy were moving passed the ticket booth, through the groups of kids, and towards the butterfly exhibit. Their clasped hands dangled between them, and because it had been two days since their last encounter, they couldn't stop looking at each other.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen!" A grey haired man stood in the small room where Troy and Gabriella, along with a few other zoo visitors, stood waiting to go into the butterfly exhibit. "As you go into the exhibit, remember not to touch or pull the wings of the butterflies. They are very fragile!"

Gabriella giggled next to Troy as the man nodded seriously, pulling open the sliding door that lead into the forest-like atmosphere. Walking into the room, the temperature suddenly changed, and Gabriella could almost hear her hair frizzing, and while it would have worried her before, she wasn't too concerned about it with Troy. A group of butterflies flew over them as they stood by a purple plant.

"There's a butterfly on your back," Troy said with a grin.

"No way! What color?"

"Orange and black," Troy answered. He let go of her hand and brushed away the butterfly, but it jumped onto his hand instead. He brought it forward so that Gabriella could see.

"Wow," Gabriella gushed, smiling at the butterfly.

"You know, I'm sure George the butterfly keeper wouldn't like me holding this guy," Troy said when he noticed that the same guy who told them not to touch the butterflies was walking around the exhibit, supervising the group.

"He never has to know," Gabriella whispered, continuing their walk along the sidewalk.

After the butterfly exhibit, Troy and Gabriella visited the penguins, and the lions and tigers, and of course the polar bears. As they walked around the zoo, they got their faces painted and were given animal shaped balloons. They were laughing so hard at one point that they had to sit down so that they wouldn't fall over.

Now, they were eating lunch on a wooden bench in front of the elephant exhibit. A kid with a red balloon tied to his wrist ran back and forth in front of them, but they barely noticed as they talked.

"I got an interview with this one law firm thirty minutes away from home. I didn't expect to get one so quickly. I figured I'd have to work for my dad," Gabriella said. They were currently on the topic of work as they ate their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"That's great," Troy told her. His arm rested loosely on the back of the bench. "Next thing you know, you'll be moving out and living on your own."

"That's a wonderful thought," Gabriella laughed. "I'm sure my parents won't be too happy to give up control over me."

"It's not like you're Rapunzel, you can get out if you want to," Troy replied.

"Rapunzel?"

"Yeah… isn't that the one with the hair, who's locked up in the castle?" Troy asked with a grin. "Or am I thinking of the wrong princess?"

"No, that's the one," Gabriella nodded. "I just never thought of it like that. I mean… why the heck am I living at home anyway?"

"If I remember correctly, you said you have no money to move out."

"And now I remember," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. "I guess if I get that job, I'll be able to move out sooner than I expected."

"You'll get the job," Troy said, letting his arm drop over her shoulder. She scouted closer to him with a smile, squinting as the sun peeked through the trees lining the walkways.

"Thanks," she said. A zoo keeper hosed down a dried and wrinkled elephant, and its tail wagged as the clear water splashed its skin. Troy and Gabriella sat quietly watching for a while, letting the sun tan their skin.

...

"Your butterfly doesn't look like a butterfly anymore," Troy said as the two of them walked toward the gorillas. Gabriella's butterfly balloon had one deflated wing and a dirty antenna, while Troy's tiger balloon was still fully intact.

"I know," Gabriella said with a frown. "I guess I'm just a terrible butterfly keeper. I give props to George."

Troy laughed quietly, leaning up against the wooden fence that allowed him to look out at the gorillas. Gabriella set her butterfly balloon on the fence, barely noticing it fall to the dirty ground after. Troy simply grinned, not wanting to comment on her inability to keep her balloon friend alive.

"Gabs?"

Troy felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up when he heard the shrill voice of Monica, coming from behind them. He kept his eyes on the male gorilla, who sat eating grass, so he wouldn't have to turn around to greet her.

Gabriella turned to see Monica, Angela, Anthony, and Connor walking together in a group toward her. She sent the three accompanying Monica wondering looks while she hugged her friend.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked.

"Connor won free tickets to the zoo on the radio, and he wanted us to come with him," she said with a roll of her eyes, like she wanted to be doing something better. "What brings you to the zoo?"

"Oh, I was actually here with Troy," Gabriella said with a nod.

"Troy?" Monica asked with a raise of her eyebrows. Anthony and Angela exchanged a look.

"Yup," Gabriella nodded. She pulled at Troy's sleeve to get his attention, and he finally turned to face her friends, acting surprised to see them there.

"Hey," Troy said with an upward nod toward the group.

"Wait, you're the lifeguard dude, right?" Anthony asked. He laughed shortly after asking, like he knew he should have remembered who he was, but didn't mind not knowing.

"Yeah," Troy said with a nod.

"Uh, Gabriella, do you think I could talk to you for a minute?" Monica asked.

"Can it wait? I'm here with Troy," Gabriella replied.

"It'll only take a second," Monica said, grabbing her arm and pulling her aside. Angela followed, leaving the boys to talk with Troy. From her spot a few steps away from Troy, Gabriella kept her eyes on her friends, hoping they wouldn't say anything rude or insensitive.

"Are you crazy, Gabriella?" Monica asked.

"Monica, please, would you give it a rest?" Gabriella asked. "You're more worried about my love life than I am."

"I care about you, Gabriella, so I'm going to tell you when I think you're doing something destructive."

"I'm spending a day at the zoo. How is that destructive?"

"Because," Monica replied under her breath. "You're here with him."

"I don't see the problem," Gabriella answered.

"You and Troy come from completely different places," Monica told her while Angela nodded enthusiastically. "He's not someone your people are going to want to hang around."

"My people?" Gabriella questioned with a raise of her eyebrows. "Look Monica, I appreciate your concern, but Troy and I have a lot more in common than you think. If you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my date, and I'd also like it if you didn't comment on my relationships."

"But-"

"Goodbye, Monica," Gabriella said with a wave, walking back over to Troy. She sent Connor a look, hoping that he'd leave with Anthony, and he did reluctantly, like he wanted to stay to see if she was going to be okay.

Troy and Gabriella waited until the group was out of their view before commenting.

"Whatever they said to you, ignore," Gabriella told Troy.

"It's fine," Troy said with a shrug. "It wasn't anything I haven't heard before."

Gabriella sighed and shook her head, linking her arm with Troy's.

"I think I'm suddenly zooed out."

"So am I," Troy replied. "I'll take you home."

...

Troy stood by the car door on the passenger's side, peering into the car as Gabriella's behind poked out of the car while she looked around for her butterfly balloon.

"I'm telling you, Gabriella, it's lying by the gorilla exhibit, probably trampled by now," Troy told her for the third time. He shook his head when she shouted out a response while still shorting through the contents on the floor of his car.

"Okay, okay," Gabriella said as she appeared from the car. "So now I understand why my parents never let me have a fish when I was younger."

"You can have my balloon, if it'll make you happy," Troy said, handing over the orange balloon twisted into a tiger.

"That's so nice of you!" Gabriella exclaimed, taking it from him. For being in her twenties, she sure did like balloon animals.

"Take care of him," Troy told her jokingly. "He only eats balloon lambs."

"Oh, I'll protect him with my life," Gabriella nodded.

The afternoon sun rested above Gabriella's house as they stood in her driveway next to Troy's car. A bug hidden somewhere in her yard made a hissing noise.

"I better get going," Troy said after a few minutes of small talk. "I have to get up early tomorrow for trash pick up."

"I'm sure you're thrilled," Gabriella replied, grinning while she stepped closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. The scent of her hair brought back memories of the night he took her fishing.

"I'll see you later," Troy said, pulling away from her so that he could see her face.

Gabriella smiled up at him, and stretched up on her tip toes so that she was face to face with him. She gave him a peck on the lips before setting her feet flat on the ground. Troy's urge to kiss her grew as she sent him another smile and he pulled her up in his arms with a laugh, not wanting to leave with only a quick kiss. Just as Gabriella was about to put her arms around Troy's neck to deepen the kiss, they both heard a loud pop.

Troy looked into Gabriella's eyes, seeing the humor flood them, and then heard the laugh escape Gabriella's lips.

"I think we popped the tiger," Gabriella giggled. She set her face against his neck, laughing loudly while he simply kept his arms around her, laughing with her as the remains of the balloon fell to the driveway.

* * *

**Like it? Review, review, review!**

**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! I don't know what to say about this chapter, or updating, I really just have one thing on my mind 24/7 now: The Royal Wedding. :) I can't even begin to describe how amazingly beautiful/romantic/awe-some the wedding was. I got up at 4:30 way before school so I could watch a few hours before I had to go and it was truly the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I even got all teary eyes as Kate walked down the isle (I mean, a girl was becoming a princess!) Was anyone there? I can't even imagine what that would have been like. I'm on cloud nine just thinking about it- imagine how they feel! Much, Much, Much, Much Love today. Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything To Me

Chapter eight

Troy stood behind the bar of Irwin's bar and grill for his bartending job. He had the lunch shift, so there were only a few people actually in the building. Outside, the cloudy sky was making him glad to be refilling beverages instead of sitting on the cold beach. Since the summer was coming to a close, fewer people were showing up at the beach. Instead most people were leaving and going to their winter homes, leaving their summer homes to be tended by the people who stuck around all year.

A song played from the speakers in the ceiling, and Troy tapped his foot on the floor. He was wearing a plain black shirt with the bar's logo on the left corner and a dark pair of jeans. The long row of large windows let everyone outside look into the bar, and each time someone passed, Troy couldn't help but laugh inwardly, since most people looked at their reflection in the window and adjusted their outfits or hairdos. He started to wonder if people thought no one could see them through the windows.

A couple who was enjoying the same view out the window as he was, finished their meal and left the bill with exact change on the table, before getting up to go. Now, Troy was there alone. He leaned against the back counter, looking out those windows as laughing and conversation among the kitchen staff and waitresses came through the kitchen door. The coffee maker gurgled next to him, and he peered down at it, picking it up and dumping the remaining coffee down the sink to make some more.

Sliding the coffee pot back in its original position, Troy took his spot leaning against the counter again, and looked out the window. A smile instantly tugged at his lips when he saw Gabriella standing by a parking meter, talking on her phone. She was completely oblivious to her audience as she talked to whoever was on the other line.

Her hair waved in the wind, and her sunglasses had been previously pushed up on the top of her head. Troy watched as she finally hung up the phone, tossing it into her purse afterward. She looked up at the sign hovering over the bar, and looked through the window. She was looking straight at him, but he knew she couldn't actually see him.

The hissing of the coffee pot drew his attention away from her momentarily, and then the sound of someone walking into the bar made him look away. He smiled when he saw Gabriella walking in with a smile.

"I thought I might find you in here," Gabriella said as she walked over to the bar stool across from Troy.

"What's new? I saw you out there," Troy told her, nodding toward the window.

Gabriella grinned, hoping she hadn't looked too ridiculous out there while being completely oblivious of him.

"Well, I didn't get that job at the law firm. It looks like I'll be working for my father sooner than later," Gabriella told him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Troy said. He grabbed the dry cloth from the counter and wiped off the part of the bar that Gabriella was leaning on.

"Don't be," Gabriella said with a sigh. "I'm sure everything will work out eventually."

"It will," Troy reassured her. "Besides, you're just starting out… it's not like everyone finds their perfect job right away."

"Well, you seem pretty content," Gabriella said, glancing around the bar briefly. "Are they hiring?"

Troy laughed, shaking his head.

"You don't want to work here, trust me," Troy told her. "They make the girls here wear guys clothing so that there aren't any lawsuits."

"Eh, you're right. I wouldn't last in a baggy t-shirt," Gabriella answered.

Beyond Gabriella, Monica had just appeared in the window of the bar, fluffing her hair and reapplying lip gloss. Troy didn't have to say anything to Gabriella about it either, because the amused look on his face made Gabriella turn around.

"Whoa, there she is!" Gabriella laughed. "I should probably interrupt her before she starts adjusting anything else. We're meeting for a girls' day out," Gabriella explained.

"Don't let me stop you," Troy said with a smile. "Have fun."

"Oh, I will," Gabriella said with a smile, leaning over the bar to place a kiss on his lips. She inhaled deeply when she pulled away from him and slid off of the bar stool. Troy watched her walk away and disappear behind the door, but within a matter of seconds, he could see Gabriella through the window, linking her arm with Monica's and pulling her away from the window. Gabriella waved at Troy, and even though he knew she couldn't see him respond, he waved back.

...

Troy wiggled his eyebrows at himself in the mirror, tossing around his hair so that it would look the way he wanted it to. His plain grey t-shirt was darkened in the spots where his skin was wet, since he had just jumped out of the shower. He quickly pulled on some shoes, and squirted on cologne before leaving his room, and making his way toward the family room.

"You're going to be late," Mrs. Bolton said from the couch. Her foot was perched on the coffee table, and she was in a pair of jeans and a dressy shirt. The remote control was resting in her hand.

"I know, I know, I'm hurrying," Troy said as he jogged into the kitchen, finding the car keys on the counter and snatching them quickly in his grasp. He headed toward the door, patting his back pocket to make sure he had his wallet. "I'll be back around midnight. Maybe later."

"Okay, Hon, be sure to say hi to everyone for me…" Mrs. Bolton replied. She watched her son at the front door, and smiled at him before he closed the door.

Troy walked to his car, inhaling the sent coming from the air freshener hanging on the rearview mirror. He rarely used his car, since his jobs were either in town, or pretty close. He preferred walking anyway. He pulled out of his parking spot in the street and made his way to his destination.

The nearest airport was full of people, even though it was getting later, and most flights were leaving instead of coming in. The sound of people calling after loved ones and picking up their luggage greeted everyone who entered the building, and as Troy waited patiently by the entrance of the airport, he searched the place for Rocket. After a few minutes, he heard his name and then saw Rocket waving at him enthusiastically. Rocket had his arm held securely around a familiar blonde, who was rolling a pink suitcase behind her. Troy waved at the two who both looked extremely happy.

"Troy, man!" Rocket said once he got closer to his friend. "Smell this girl!"

"What?" Troy asked with a laugh, seeing the girl smile wider.

"Smell her! Even though she has been on a plane for hours, she still smells like Hawaii!"

Troy shook his head, exchanging a look with the girl.

"How are you, Troy?" She asked, stepping closer to him so that she could finally give him a hug. Without thinking, Troy inhaled. Surprisingly, she still smelt purely of pineapples and flowers.

"I'm doing great," Troy said with a nod, pulling away from her. "How was Hawaii?"

"Oh! Tell him about the barbeque, Sharpay!" Rocket exclaimed, nudging her.

"Cuz, how about you catch your breath before I go into detail about the barbeque again," Sharpay said. Her blonde hair was slightly curly, flattened from the plane ride. She looked at her sparkly watch, looking around the airport after. "Has Chad and Taylor gotten here yet? I can't wait to see them!"

"I haven't seen them," Troy said with a shake of his head. "Chad called me yesterday and said they'd be here around seven thirty, so…"

"Hmm," Sharpay said, quickly pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Hey! There they are!" Rocket exclaimed, running off into the distance toward the others that they were waiting for. Sharpay shook her head and looked up at Troy.

"He gets so worked up over this kind of stuff," Sharpay said with a laugh. "It's like he's seeing us after five years of no contact."

"Hey, we miss you guys when you go on your exotic trips," Troy replied, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Plus, you're Rocket's only cousin, he feels inclined to go crazy over you."

Sharpay grinned, not replying as she watched Rocket help Taylor and Chad with their luggage. Taylor and Chad were both wearing their AIRFORCE uniforms, their hair pulled back into similar buns. Taylor was a doctor in the U.S. Air force, while Chad was a pilot. They had been married since their second year of college.

"Sharpay!" Taylor squealed, letting go of her duffel bag and racing toward her friend. She held onto her tightly, squeezing her eyes tightly in hopes of not letting any tears of joy escape. "I missed you so much! I can't tell you how much I missed the color pink since I last left."

"You look so good," Sharpay told her as she hugged her back. "I missed you!"

"Troy!" Chad exclaimed as he approached the group. "Get over here you big lug!"

Troy chuckled as he hugged his close friend, suddenly feeling Rocket joining in on the hug, and then Sharpay and Taylor. Opening his eyes, Troy smiled at the group of people surrounding him in that huge group hug. Describing how great it felt to finally be with his friends, the ones who stayed with him through everything would be impossible. He simply stretched his arms out further, making sure to pull them closer.

...

"Okay, okay," Chad said as he sat in the back seat of Troy's car, crammed in between Taylor and Sharpay. "So you mean to tell us, that Troy over here has gotten two more jobs since we left?"

"Yup!" Rocket said with a nod. "He's never not working."

Troy rolled his eyes as he switched lanes, honking at a car that zoomed past them in a hurry. He didn't want his friends fussing over his life choices.

"Why don't you just get a real job instead of over working yourself at four?" Taylor asked.

"I've said it a million times, guys, I want to be…"

"EVERYTHING," the group said back to him together.

"We know," Sharpay said. "But you've had the same jobs since we last left, so it's not like you're finding new ones."

"I'm working on it," Troy replied.

"I bet you just like being a tortured soul," Chad said to him, flicking his friend in the back of the head. Troy swatted at Chad's hand and sent a quick curse word at the curly haired guy in the back.

"Do you at least have a girlfriend?" Taylor asked, leaning her head on Chad's shoulder as they turned into Troy's town.

Troy didn't reply as they group waited for a response, so Rocket answered for him.

"He met her on the beach," Rocket started.

"Rocket, mind your own business," Troy told him.

The group in the back started to talk at once, all of them exclaiming different questions and their disbelief. None of them expect Troy to have a girlfriend; since his dad died, he wasn't easily swept off of his feet.

"How long have you been seeing her?" Sharpay asked, squealing as she gripped onto Taylor's arm in excitement.

"For a couple of months," Rocket told her.

"It hasn't been a couple of months," Troy told them. "And I wouldn't consider her my girlfriend."

"Then what would you call this girl?" Taylor asked. "If she's not your girlfriend, then who is she?"

"Troy, dude, she's totally your girlfriend," Rocket said. "Don't lie."

"Rocket, when they leave, I'm killing you," Troy told him.

"He's just afraid because she's a perfectly manicured rich girl, whose idea of a good time is not in fact going fishing, but tanning on a yacht," Rocket explained.

"Oh, one of those girls," Chad said with a scrunch of his nose. "I'm sure she's nice," he said somewhat doubtfully.

"Yeah," Sharpay said in a quiet voice. She shrugged in the darkness, but Troy didn't notice.

"When you say rich girl, are you hinting that she's totally high maintenance and none of us would like her?" Taylor asked Rocket.

"Oh no, that's not what I mean at all," Rocket explained. "She's actually really nice, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to be a lawyer."

"A lawyer?" Taylor repeated. "So she's a smart rich girl? I like her already."

"Alright, that's enough," Troy said with a sigh, pulling into a parking spot in front of Irwin's bar and grill. "My relationship with Gabriella is exactly that: mine."

"Aw! Gabriella! What a pretty name," Sharpay commented.

"Remind me again why I picked you all up from the airport," Troy said as he got out of the car. His friends followed, shutting the doors behind them.

"Because you love us," Taylor said with a smile, linking her arm with his. "Come on, I haven't had an actual meal in a year, let's eat!"

"I knew I married you for a good reason," Chad said to her as he linked his arm with her free arm.

...

A ring of cold condensation had formed around Troy's half empty glass of beer that sat on the corner of the wooden table in the bar. Next to him, Taylor and Sharpay laughed loudly, having already had enough to drink, while Chad continued to tell him and Rocket a story about another one of those moments that was "a close one." Quite frankly, it made Troy's stomach churn at the thought of almost having to make funeral arrangements for his friend. Troy's arm hung loosely over Sharpay's chair as he listened to Chad, and his eyes switched between each person at the table.

"It was a thrill, I'm telling ya'," Chad said, shaking his head as his thoughts went back to that moment.

"Sounds scary," Rocket said with a shudder, his eyes wide.

"Ah, it wasn't too bad," Chad said with a grin. Taylor grunted her disapproval, and then went on with her conversation with Sharpay.

"Alright, who wants another round?" Sharpay asked, standing up from her chair a few minutes later. "Everyone but Troy?"

Troy grinned, nodding at her as everyone else chimed in that they could go for another drink or two. Sharpay dragged herself over to the bar, leaving the table with just four now. Troy looked at his watch, knowing that if he didn't get home and to sleep within the next hour, he'd be sleep walking at work tomorrow.

"I hate to leave you all now, but if I don't get home, I'll never make it to work tomorrow," Troy said, scouting up his chair and glancing at his watch again.

"Ah, Troy!" Taylor exclaimed with a frown. "Wait like ten minutes… Sharpay will pass out by then and then you can take her home."

Troy laughed, looking at the bar where Sharpay was ordering more drinks. He leaned back into his chair, nodding.

"Okay, ten more minutes," Troy replied.

Sure enough, Sharpay was too drunk to keep her head up after about ten minutes. This is how she always was the first night they got together after a long time being apart, mostly because that got her out of telling everyone how she was doing. She wouldn't dare do the same until the next time they got together a year or so from now.

"Come on, Sharpay," Troy said with a smirk as he got up from his chair and walked over to Sharpay. He gently scooped her up in his arms, and the group still sitting at the table, drinking water now, smiled as they watched him. Sharpay's arm dangled around Troy's neck and her head rested semiconsciously on his shoulder. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye, Troy," Taylor smiled tiredly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Troy whispered back, going toward the door leading out to the sidewalk lining the front of the building.

Troy turned his back to the door, pushing against it so that he didn't have to move Sharpay in the processes. As he stepped onto the sidewalk, a familiar voice caught his attention. He looked up as the door closed behind him, and saw Monica, Angela, Anthony, Connor, and Gabriella getting closer to the bar. He quickly got a better grip on Sharpay, turning to go before he had to be seen, but Monica saw Sharpay's shoes first.

"Oh. My. Is that the limited edition fall heel from Jimmy Choo?" Monica's voice interrupted the quiet of the night air, causing the groups chatter to stop. Troy kept walking, though, as if he didn't hear the comment. His back was to them, so he hoped that the only thing they did notice was the evergreen heels Sharpay was wearing.

He carefully slid Sharpay into the back seat of his car once he was by the car he had parked in front of the bar. He tossed his coat over her before going over to the driver's seat and sitting down, starting the engine. The bar's dim lights could be seen against the dark glass of the windows, and Troy suddenly remembered that just because he couldn't see in, everyone there could definitely see out. He just hoped Gabriella didn't find it weird that he was carrying an attractive blond around.

...

The sharp beep of Troy's car locking after stepping out of it was almost the only thing making noise later that night as he walked up to Irwin's bar and grill for the third time that day. He was surprised to find the front door still unlocked, but when he walked in to see Gabriella sitting alone at the bar, he figured she had gotten herself a few more minutes in the round seat.

Troy nodded to one of the bartenders wiping the bar down as he came closer, and the bartender gave him a pat on the back, leaving him with the key to lock up on the counter. Gabriella's lips curled into a tired smile when he sat down next to her, crossing his arms on the counter.

"Where did everyone go?" Troy asked quietly, knowing that she had just been with a group of people.

"They were tired of celebrating," Gabriella answered, squinting at herself in the mirrors that lined the back of the shelves across from her.

"What were you celebrating?"

"I start working for my dad on Monday," Gabriella replied. "What fun."

Troy set his arm over the back of the bar stool and simply kept his eyes on Gabriella's face as she sighed into her glass of water. She twirled the ice around for a minute, and then looked over at Troy.

"Did you come back to make sure I didn't think you were with that girl?" Gabriella asked.

Troy opened his mouth to reply, but the blunt question from Gabriella had no explanation spilling from his lips. Made up visions of Monica feeding nonsense to Gabriella's imagination nagged at his brain, and he simply didn't know how to respond.

"Don't worry," Gabriella told him, taking a drink from her water, crunching on an ice cube. "Rocket made sure I didn't think that."

"I guess I won't kill him after all," Troy joked, smiling softly at Gabriella, who didn't get the joke since she wasn't in the car ride home from the airport, but she didn't seem worried.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Gabriella asked, leaning her head against the palm of her hand as she stretched her elbow on the bar, face to face with Troy now, who was doing the same.

"Sure," Troy replied quietly.

"How do you know when your life is going the way you want it to?" Gabriella asked. Her eyes were suddenly interested in the shellacked counter, now avoiding Troy's eye contact.

"When you're happy," Troy replied as he ran his hand through her long hair.

"How do you know when you're truly happy?" Gabriella asked.

"When you have nothing at all, but can still say you have everything you've ever needed," Troy answered.

Gabriella nodded, keeping her eyes on the countertop. She slid off of the bar stool, collecting her purse from the counter, and running her hand through her hair. She looked into Troy's eyes then, and Troy was surprised to see her eyes watering with tears he had never seen before. He sat up in his chair, concerned.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked.

"Nothing," Gabriella said, forcing a smile as she shook her head. "I just had a really shitty day."

"I'm sorry," Troy said as he stood up from his chair.

"Don't be; you're the only good thing about it," she replied. Gabriella smiled, backing away from Troy and toward the door of the bar. She disappeared behind the door and away from Troy's view, but he saw her as she walked in front of the large windows of the bar, wiping at her eyes and walking quickly by.

* * *

**Like it? Review!**

**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for the great reviews! This chapter is kind of short, but, hey, it's an update! Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter nine

Troy stood in the lifeguard tower with the pair of binoculars that Rocket always seemed to be caught using, pressed against his eyes. Chad and Taylor sat on the steps leading up to the tower talking, while Rocket demonstrated to Sharpay the right way to apply suntan lotion. In the center of the lake, Monica's yacht floated ostentatiously. Troy suddenly understood why Rocket had such a close relationship with those binoculars, considering he could see as much as a blink of the people on the yacht.

So far, Monica had only bitched and bitched about something he didn't know about, and Gabriella sat with her arms crossed over her chest and a pissed expression on her face. It hadn't been until Anthony walked onto the yacht deck that Gabriella got up and stood leaning over the side of the yacht, looking like she'd like to be anywhere but there.

Chad and Taylor laughed quietly with each other as Chad tried to bury Taylor's feet in the sand at the bottom step. Troy's mouth hung open in suspense as Gabriella finally turned toward her friend, waved her arms around angrily, and tossed her hat off, stepping onto the ledge of the yacht.

"What the…" Troy started. Before Troy even saw Gabriella jump from the edge of the yacht, he was leaping over the heads of Taylor and Chad, racing toward his wave runner and pulling off of the rocky beach. Rocket took his spot in the tower, taking the binoculars to get a look for himself.

Troy's heart felt like it was ripping his insides apart as it pounded harshly against his chest. The wave runner was currently going its fastest speed, but he didn't feel like he was getting to the yacht fast enough. Gabriella's head was above water now, and her arms could be seen going in and out of the water. At the edge of the yacht, Anthony and Monica stood screaming at her, but neither thought about jumping in after her.

"Are you crazy?" Monica asked Gabriella as she peered down into the water.

Troy slowed down the wave runner, jumping off of it before it came to a complete stop. He sunk deeper into the water than usual, noticing that he forgot the lifejackets in his hurry to the center of the lake. He wiped his eyes free of water once he came up and swam toward Gabriella.

"What kind of person jumps off of a moving yacht?" Troy asked, out of breath. He put his arm around her waist, keeping her afloat as she too wiped her face off. She looked into his eyes and shrugged.

"The same kind of person who jumps on one."

Troy searched her face for a hint that she was only joking, but he couldn't find one in her serious features. She put her arms around his neck, kissing his shoulder quickly before looking into his eyes again.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked, worried that something more serious than having bad friends was going on.

"I'm fine now," Gabriella told him. "I just can't stand them anymore."

"Gabriella!" Monica shrieked. "Come back up."

"Let's go," Gabriella said, letting go of Troy before swimming over to the wave runner. She lifted herself onto it, looking down at Troy who stayed treading water. "Are you coming or not?"

Troy smirked, grabbing onto the wave runner and pulling himself around her, letting her control the machine while he held onto her. Her hair whipped him in the face as they pulled toward the shore, but he barely noticed. Troy's friends stood at the edge of the shore, concerned expressions etched on their faces.

"Troy, man, way to go!" Rocket said with a smile as Troy and Gabriella stepped off of the wave runner. Chad patted Troy on the shoulder and smiled brightly.

"So _that's_ why you're a lifeguard."

"Geez, Chad," Taylor said with an eye roll as she draped a dry towel over Gabriella's shoulders. "I'm Taylor," Taylor said to Gabriella, who looked at her in wonder. "I'm Troy's friend."

"Hi, I'm Gabriella, thank you."

"GABRIELLA!" the group said together, smiling at her.

"You're Troy's girlfriend!" Sharpay exclaimed, giving her a quick hug.

Troy's cheeks turned the slightest pink at Sharpay's accusation, but when he saw the smile on Gabriella's face, he realized he didn't have to be too worried about Gabriella thinking he was presumptuous for calling her his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I am," Gabriella nodded, winking at Troy briefly.

"Welcome to the family!" Chad said with a smile, hugging Gabriella too.

"Thank you," Gabriella replied, giggling softly.

"We were just about to have a picnic on the beach, would you like to join us?" Taylor asked.

"Are you sure, I don't want to interrupt anything…"

"We insist," Sharpay said with a nod. "If you're with Troy, you're with us."

"Don't tell her that, you'll scare her away," Troy said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Sharpay and Taylor said at the same time as they each linked their arm with one of Gabriella's to lead her over to the picnic blanket.

Gabriella looked behind her as she was taken toward the picnic, making eye contact with Troy who was watching her with a smile. Rocket and Chad watched her too, smiling as if waiting until she turned around to start talking about her.

...

"I peed my pants!" Chad exclaimed as the group cracked up. All of them were lying facing the night sky. The stars were especially visible, and the air was still. "We were sitting in Troy's dad's convertible after our second grade play, and all of a sudden it was rolling backward and we had no way of stopping it. All I remember about the moment before the crash is the garbage man catching us when we jumped out."

"Ah, the garbage man, our hero," Taylor said with a laugh.

Gabriella giggled, hearing Troy's laugh rumble in his chest as her head rested against it.

"Oh man, and do you remember the construction worker's face when the three of us got stuck in the mud on our way home from eighth grade graduation?" Rocket asked.

"Yeah! And I had to bring you all pants because the guy couldn't save you _and_ your pants. It was either one of the other," Sharpay giggled. "What a sight. I think I blackmailed you all with that picture until you were tall enough to get it from me."

"What ever happened to that picture?" Troy asked, resting his chin against Gabriella's head.

"I still have it," Sharpay answered. "It's in a picture frame on my dresser."

"Make me a copy," Taylor told her, laughing quietly as she pressed her nose into Chad's hair.

"Will do."

The group looked up at the stars for a few minutes without saying anything else. They simply basked in the moment of being together, since they didn't exactly know when they'd be able to do this again.

"So Gabriella, now that you know all of Troy's dirty secrets, are you ready to turn him in for someone better?" Chad asked.

"Thanks a lot, man," Troy commented.

"When you find someone better, let me know," Gabriella answered, looking up at Troy. "He'll be hard to find."

"Ahhh," Chad and Sharpay mocked together.

Gabriella giggled softly, feeling Troy's hand start to brush against her arm slowly. He leaned forward, giving her a peck on the lips before setting his head back down on the ground. She scouted up closer to him, though, feeling him kiss her on her forehead the moment she was close enough to reach. He kept his cheek pressed against her forehead and continued to draw invisible circles on her arm.

"Hey, Gabriella," Sharpay said after a few more minutes of silence. The group turned their heads toward Sharpay, ready to hear another story about Troy.

"Yeah?" Gabriella asked, adjusting her head against Troy's arm as she turned more toward the stars.

"Why'd you jump off the yacht?" She asked.

Troy's hand stopped moving, like he was wondering the same thing and didn't want to miss Gabriella's answer. The group looked back at the stars, waiting to hear her response too.

"Because the people on that yacht don't care about anything but themselves," Gabriella told them, shaking her head briefly. "Or about me and my happiness."

"We care about you, Gabriella," Rocket replied, smiling over at her. "Just as long as you don't mind that we don't have any yachts."

"Speak for yourself," Sharpay said with a giggle. "I have two."

"Rocket, man, you have a yacht," Chad laughed. "And I have an airplane."

Gabriella giggled, confused at the same time, since all of the people lying around her were barely any different from herself, but they didn't talk about their belongings or money like her friends did.

"I mean in general," Rocket said in a duh-tone. "We may have yachts, but we don't say we have yachts."

"I understand," Gabriella said with a nod. "Thank you, Rocket."

"You're welcome."

Gabriella turned her head slightly to look over at Troy and smiled when she saw him smiling to himself while keeping his eyes on the stars. She was suddenly glad that she had decided to jump off of that boat because her day wouldn't have been as great. Plus, she wouldn't have met Troy's friends: the people who actually truly cared about him. And if they cared about him the way she knew they did, she could easily see herself fitting into their lives.

"What time is it?" Chad asked.

"Eleven forty," Rocket said after looking closely at his watch.

"SHIT!" Gabriella exclaimed, leaping up from her spot on the blanket between Troy and Taylor. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Ah, home before midnight, eh?" Rocket asked.

Gabriella shook her head, laughing shortly when she heard Sharpay hit him.

"I told my dad I'd be home two hours ago to go over a few things for my job," Gabriella explained, grabbing her shoes from the sand quickly and zipping up the jacket Troy let her wear over her bathing suit.

"Do you need a ride home?" Troy asked.

"No, it's fine, I'll run," Gabriella said racing up the beach before anyone could insist on taking her home. "It was nice meeting you!"

"Bye, Gabriella!" Taylor waved after her.

"Run, Gabriella, run!" Rocket shouted.

"Rocket, would you stop?" Sharpay laughed, shaking her head at him.

The group laid back down once Gabriella was turning out of the parking lot and down the street leading out of the town square.

"She must be the athletic type," Chad said with a sigh as he put his hands behind his head, propping his head up.

"No, not at all," Troy said, glancing back at the town, no longer seeing Gabriella there.

"She's nice," Sharpay sighed. "Totally not a normal rich girl."

"That means so much coming from a rich girl," Taylor said with a laugh.

"I'll see you guys later," Troy said as he started to sit up. "She'll never make it home on foot."

The group laughed, and tried to get Troy to stay a few minutes longer as he grabbed his shoes from the sand, but he insisted on going after Gabriella. As he walked toward his car, the cool breeze moved his hair, causing it to look tousled and messy. He got into his car, backing out of the beach parking lot and headed in the direction of Gabriella's house. When he finally caught up to her, she was nearly dragging herself up a steep hill that led to her street. She squinted when Troy's headlights hovered over her face.

"I knew you wouldn't make it up the hill," Troy joked, grinning when she gripped onto the passenger's side door, one that he had just pushed open for her.

"My dad is going to kill you if he sees that you're the reason I'm late, that's why I didn't take your offer to give me a ride home," she explained as she sat down in the seat next to him, pulling the door shut behind her.

"I'll drop you off a few houses away," Troy answered with a shrug. "He'll never have to know."

"Oh, he'll know," Gabriella said with a sigh, leaning her head against the headrest.

"How?" Troy asked with a laugh, pulling away from the side of the road and making his way up the hill.

"He's a lawyer," Gabriella replied, laughing softly. "Nothing gets past him."

"Well, then I guess I'm just going to have to drop you off right on your driveway, since it won't matter either way."

Gabriella sighed, closing her eyes as she kept her head against the headrest.

"That's fine. I'm too tired to walk to my house anyway. You might have to carry me to the front door," she joked.

"I wouldn't mind," Troy answered with a smile.

"Good." Gabriella smiled.

"Good," Troy repeated.

"I think I'm falling for you," Gabriella told him.

"I think I'm falling for you too," Troy replied.

"Good."

"Good."

* * *

**Like it? Review!**

**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, everyone! I'm so thankful for all of your reviews! They mean so much to me! I'm hoping to get to 200 reviews after posting this chapter, so be sure to review! I might be willing to wait even longer to get those 20 some reviews! :) On a less conniving note, you all should see "Something Borrowed"! It was an awesome, totally not predictable movie! Loved it! Review and Enjoy! **

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter ten

The sun peeked through the wooden window shades in Troy's bedroom the next morning, falling on his face and waking him up. His pillow was scrunched up against his face and his arms were folded underneath his pillow, hugging it somewhat. He sat up once he had laid in bed for a good twenty minutes and rubbed his face with his hands before looking at the clock on his nightstand. It was almost noon, and since he didn't have to work at all today, he wasn't concerned with going anywhere or being late for something.

Passing the full length mirror hanging on his bathroom door before making his way out of his room, he couldn't help but notice how much of a slob he currently looked like. He was shirtless with a pair of wrinkled sweat pants on, and his hair looked like he had stuck his head out of a window while driving. His eyes, though, looked rested, and there was a smile on his face, probably, because the dream he had of Gabriella was still fresh in his memory.

The sound of something crackling in the kitchen drew his attention to it once he made his way down the hallway into the family room. He saw his mom standing on one foot cooking bacon and eggs while her crutches leaned against the counter.

"Morning," she said without having to turn around to see if Troy was actually there.

"Morning," Troy said back, walking into the kitchen. He grabbed onto the crutches and stuck them under his arms as he watched his mom at the stove. He had to lean over just to be able to rest his armpits on the cushiony grey part of the crutches.

"How was your night out with everyone?"

"It was fun," Troy nodded.

"How much longer are they staying for?" Mrs. Bolton asked. Her hair was curled and pulled back into a half ponytail and she was wearing makeup. She must have finally got sick of looking like a mess just because she couldn't go to work until her leg was better.

"Sharpay left this morning. Zeke had some kind of emergency back home with the oven. Apparently he lost an eyebrow," Troy answered.

"Eh, that's not good, but considering this happens almost every time he tries a new recipe, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Trust me, I know," Troy said, nodding.

"And what about Taylor and Chad? How much longer do they have until they're sent back to work?"

"They have a month, but in a few days they're going to visit Chad's family in Pennsylvania for a while. Apparently, Chad's mom wants grandchildren, ASAP. They're going to give her back all of the baby clothes she keeps sending them overseas."

"I'm sure that'll happen sooner than they think," Mrs. Bolton said with a smile. "Speaking of, you know, starting families and all, when am I ever going to meet the girl who keeps you out so late?"

Troy felt himself blush as she looked up from the pan on the stove. She smiled at him innocently, like the thought wasn't too far fetched. Troy rocked on the crutches, trying to stall.

"I don't know," Troy said with a shrug.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" Mrs. Bolton asked. "Invite her over already."

"Do you really want to meet her? I'm afraid you'll scare her away," Troy replied. He laughed when his mom smacked him with the dishtowel she had slung over her shoulder.

"I wouldn't do such a thing," she commented. "Just invite her over; I'm dying to see a new face."

"Okay," Troy said.

"Okay? Great! Have her over tonight. I'll try to clean up this place, and get to the grocery store before dinner…"

"Mom, Mom," Troy said, holding his hands out and placing them on her shoulders. "You don't have to do anything special. I'll go to the grocery store to pick up a few things. You can just go on with your normal day."

"Troy, lately my normal day has been watching TV and eating. I'm tired of watching TV and eating," she said in a monotone. "I'll clean and get an air freshener going, the whole nine yards."

"What ever you say, Mom," Troy said with a laugh, setting the crutches against the counter again. "So is that breakfast for me, or am I going to have to fend for myself?"

"Aren't you rude," Mrs. Bolton said with a smile, swatting him again with the dish towel.

...

The smile on Gabriella's face hadn't faltered since the moment she stepped into her father's law firm, which was filled with smiling men and women answering phones and walking around in designer clothing and expensive shoes. A bowl of candy sat untouched in the lobby, obviously because no one would actually _eat_ anything around the office. The people Gabriella had encountered were just how she expected them to be: well manicured and occasionally well mannered.

There was a fish tank in the lobby too, one that held salt water creatures from places Gabriella most likely never visited. Her dad always told her that no matter how old you are, a fish tank will draw you closer, and he wanted to make sure that his clients were always being reeled in.

Since Gabriella was on her lunch break, she sat in the chair by the fish tank, eating a recently microwaved Lean Cuisine. The steam rose and hit her chin as she waited for it to cool off before taking another bit.

Within minutes, she already had company.

"Gabriella, I figured I'd eat with you today since you probably don't know many people yet," said a blonde paralegal, Suzanne. She had on a pinned striped suit, one that hugged her body and showed off how skinny she really was. She had an apple and piece of toast for her lunch.

"Thanks," Gabriella smiled, finally taking a bite of her lunch. "It's been a busy day getting to know how everything works around here."

"Oh, I bet. I remember my first day," Suzanne commented. She bit into her apple, letting the juice run down her hand without a care. Her diamond ring on her ring finger was so large, that Gabriella's eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets when she saw it. It must have weighed four times the apple.

"That ring is gorgeous," Gabriella told her, nodding toward the engagement ring.

"Thanks," Suzanne smiled, looking at it. She held her hand out so that they both could get a better look at it. "My fiancé said there's only two like this in the country."

"You're kidding! That must have cost an arm and a leg!"

"I didn't even ask," she replied with a laugh. "I think I would have told him to return it if I knew the price."

"Really?"

"No!" Suzanne giggled. "There's only two in the _country_. I wouldn't give it up for anything."

"It's definitely something," Gabriella replied with a nod. "Amazing."

"Thanks."

The two sat there for the rest of their lunch, making small talk and staring at the ring. It reflected in the light coming from the fish tank. Gabriella couldn't help but look at her own ring finger occasionally and picture a ring three fourths of that size on her finger. She grinned at the idea.

...

"Troy, get the lasagna out of the oven before it burns!" Mrs. Bolton called from her bathroom. The smell of the layered pasta dish in the oven wafted through the perfectly clean house. The windows were cracked open slightly because earlier, Mrs. Bolton burnt the rolls and almost caught the house on fire.

Troy jogged out of his bedroom, a clean pair of dark jeans and a navy blue t-shirt on, and slide into the kitchen with ease. He grabbed a red oven mitt from the counter and pulled out the hot pan, sliding it onto the stove to cool down after shutting the heavy oven door. He looked at the clock, seeing that he had a few more minutes until Gabriella would be there, and went back to his room to make sure he didn't have any leftover shaving cream on his face.

Gabriella's high heels clicked on the sidewalk pavement leading toward Troy's house. She had parked a few houses away since the street in front of his house was currently occupied by someone else's car. She was still in her work clothes, since the only way to get to dinner on time would be to drive all the way to Troy's from work. Her blazer had been discarded in the car so she was left with her pin stripped black pants and a tucked in purple silk shirt.

In the reflection of Troy's front door, she made sure her hair looked somewhat descent. She nearly jumped off of the porch when she heard someone from across the shrubs separating Troy's house from the neighbors.

"You look beautiful, darling!"

Gabriella turned to see an older man at the house next to Troy's, sitting in a rocking chair. He waved at her when she finally made eye contact.

"Oh, thank you." Gabriella smiled, giving him a small wave back.

"You must be Gabriella," he assumed, scouting up on his rocking chair to get a better look at her. "The two of them in there have been fussing all day about you. They've been to and from the grocery store three times so far."

"Really? I hope they didn't go through too much trouble for me," Gabriella said, glancing at the front door.

"I'm sure they're thrilled to finally have some company. The last time Troy brought a girl home, was… well, he hasn't brought a girl home for as long as I've lived here… and I've been in this rocking chair since 1970!"

The laugh of the old man made Gabriella instantly smile. He seemed to know a lot about Troy, and Gabriella assumed it was because he was always in the rocking chair, looking to see what was going on. Gabriella looked away from the man when she heard the front door open and saw Troy looking at her in wonder. When he stepped out on the porch, he didn't seem too surprised to see that she had been delayed by his neighbor.

"Are you interrogating Gabriella, Mr. Silverman?" Troy asked with a smile, waving at his neighbor.

"Oh, no! I was telling her about this rocking chair of mine, nothing important," Mr. Silverman replied. Gabriella laughed softly at the man, considering he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"Is that true?" Troy asked.

"Completely." Gabriella nodded.

"You two have fun tonight, you hear?" Mr. Silverman said, getting up from his rocking chair and walking to his front door. He waved from his spot.

"Bye, Mr. Silverman," Troy called after him.

Gabriella sent him a small wave and Mr. Silverman winked at her, like he knew full well that she lied for him. Troy waited until Mr. Silverman was in his house before kissing Gabriella.

"How was work?" He asked when he pulled away.

"Brand new," Gabriella replied with a smile. "I'm sorry that I'm still in my work clothes, I didn't have time to change."

"You look great," Troy said, realizing her outfit for the first time since he stepped out onto the porch. "Purple looks good on you."

"Just because you said that, I'll never wear any other color," Gabriella joked. "Thank you."

"Do you want to go inside?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded, biting her bottom lip to hold in the huge smile that was trying to form on her lips. She followed Troy inside; shutting the front door behind her once she stepped into the house. The house was warm, Gabriella noticed, as she looked at the open floor plan. The couch looked inviting and the dinning room table, which was a few feet from the front door, was already seat.

"Mom, Gabriella's here," Troy called out, noticing that his mom wasn't in the kitchen where she had been when Troy went out to save Gabriella from Mr. Silverman.

"Oh! I'm coming!"

Gabriella's heart fluttered in her chest at the sound of Mrs. Bolton's voice. When Mrs. Bolton appeared from the hallway, Gabriella was surprised to see her hopping on one foot toward them.

"Gabriella," Mrs. Bolton smiled once she was closer to them. She held out her hands, and Gabriella took them, noticing how Mrs. Bolton gripped her hands, as if trying to stay standing. "It's so nice to see you."

"You too," Gabriella replied. "Thanks for inviting me over for dinner."

"It's our pleasure. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to have someone over."

"Well, I'm happy to be here."

"Troy, I misplaced my crutches again, will you find them for me?" Mrs. Bolton asked, sending Troy a communicating look.

Troy nodded, leaving the two women alone as he went toward the hallway. He shook his head as if thinking of something as he left them be. Gabriella was caught off guard when Mrs. Bolton instantly hugged her.

"You're so beautiful!" Mrs. Bolton exclaimed. "I didn't want to embarrass Troy by getting all motherly on you, but wow! You're wonderful, I can tell."

"Thank you." Gabriella grinned. "That means a lot to me."

"Come sit, come sit," Mrs. Bolton said, waving her over to the couch as she herself hopped over to it. She sat down, grabbing a pillow and placing it on her lap.

Gabriella sat next to her, smiling as she briefly looked around the room, noticing more knickknacks and memorabilia as she glanced around.

"So, you have to tell me everything about you," Mrs. Bolton said. "Troy hasn't told me a thing about you."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows, laughing softly at the fact that Mrs. Bolton wanted to know _everything _about her. Where would she start? _I was born on a hot summer day_…

"Don't blame him, though," Mrs. Bolton told her, patting her on her knee. "He probably just doesn't want to share."

"Oh, well…" Gabriella started with a shrug.

"Seriously, Mom, your crutches were in your room where you always leave them," Troy said as he came back into the family room with the crutches.

"I must have forgotten," Mrs. Bolton told him, winking at Gabriella. Troy set the crutches by the couch and inhaled the smell of the lasagna, which was evident the second Gabriella walked into the house.

"I think we should eat," Troy said. "The lasagna is probably cooled by now."

"Let's eat then," Mrs. Bolton said. She got up from the couch quickly, swinging on her crutches and went toward the kitchen. Troy waited until she was hidden behind the counter before turning to Gabriella, who was now standing up next to him.

"You don't have to answer any questions she's bound to ask you," Troy whispered to her as he led her to the dinner table. He pulled out a chair for her and she sat in it, letting him push it in for her too. "She gets excited about guests."

"I don't mind answering questions," Gabriella said with a shrug. She looked up at Troy who was pulling the chair out next to her. "You know, maybe if you told her a few things about me, she wouldn't have to ask me so many questions." Gabriella sent him a teasing look and he opened his mouth to reply, but closed it when he realized he didn't have a good response.

"I'm going to see if she needs help with the lasagna," Troy said, smirking as he escaped to the kitchen.

Being left alone gave Gabriella the chance to look around from her spot at the table. The house was cozy, with a basket of shoes by the front door and an umbrella rank right next to it. The rug by the front door was worn with many exits and returns, and the coffee table was cluttered with magazines and books. The kitchen was small and from the table, Gabriella could see Troy picking up the lasagna pan with oven mitts covering his hands. She smirked at him when he came from the kitchen and set the pan in the center of the table.

Mrs. Bolton was close behind with her hands free of everything but her crutches. She sat in the chair across from Gabriella, and Troy sat down next to Gabriella once he had gotten everyone a large piece of lasagna.

"So, Gabriella, let's start off with the basics, how'd you and Troy meet?" Mrs. Bolton asked. Gabriella looked over at Troy, sending him a communicative look.

"Well, it's a funny story actually."

...

"Did you meet Troy's friends?" Mrs. Bolton asked from her spot at the dinner table. Troy was making trips to and from the table, taking dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"I did," Gabriella nodded. "They're great people."

"They fooled you," Troy joked as he came back for another round of dishes. Gabriella giggled at him when he winked at her, and Mrs. Bolton shook her head at her son.

"Have you met Gabriella's friends, Troy?" Mrs. Bolton asked, leaning her elbows against the now empty space on the table in front of her.

Troy and Gabriella exchanged a look as Troy shrugged at his mom's question.

"Yeah, I guess," Troy nodded, grabbing the sets of utensils from the table and stacking them in an empty basket that was used for the rolls.

"What do you mean 'you guess'?" Mrs. Bolton asked. She noticed the way Gabriella occupied herself with her glass of water.

"I've seen them around town," Troy answered. "I've worked for a few of them too."

"So you haven't _really_ met them," Mrs. Bolton assumed.

"My friends aren't the most accepting people, Mrs. Bolton," Gabriella told her. "I wouldn't be surprised if we weren't friends anymore in the future."

"That's too bad," Mrs. Bolton said, leaning back in her chair.

Gabriella nodded, glancing over at Troy who seemed to have a few questions of his own because of her confession. He turned back to the kitchen, though, and went back to doing the dishes.

Mrs. Bolton trailed her index finger around the rim of her wine glass as she listened to the sound of the water from the sink in the kitchen. Gabriella watched in comfortable silence, wondering if Troy did the dished every night for his mom. She couldn't help but grin at the thought.

As Mrs. Bolton's hand came around her wine glass for one more swipe of the rim, a sparkle caught Gabriella's eye. Mrs. Bolton stopped her hand when Gabriella looked at her wedding ring in surprise.

"Your ring…" Gabriella started, noticing that it look almost exactly similar to Suzanne's ring from work.

Mrs. Bolton turned her hand to look at her ring and smiled longingly at it. She shinned it with her napkin, and showed it to Gabriella.

"The one thing I have left of my husband," she said somewhat sadly. Gabriella swallowed and blinked at the large ring. She knew that it was so expensive, that if they sold it, Troy wouldn't have to work four jobs. "I wouldn't give it up for anything."

Gabriella nodded, looking at the ring again.

"It's beautiful," Gabriella nodded. She decided in that moment not to mention that she had seen one just like it only a few hours earlier, since the look on Mrs. Bolton's face showed that she thought it was the only one that mattered.

"Would you like to take a walk?" Mrs. Bolton asked.

"I'd love to," Gabriella said with a nod. She pushed back her chair, glancing toward the kitchen.

"Troy, we're going on a walk," Mrs. Bolton said. "We'll be back eventually."

"Be careful," Troy called after them.

Gabriella and Mrs. Bolton walked slowly down the street, past Mr. Silverman's house and toward town. Mrs. Bolton hobbled, more than walked, and Gabriella had kept a good walking pace so that she wouldn't pass her.

They were currently talking about Troy.

"When my husband died, we thought that life couldn't get any worse, but it somehow managed to," Mrs. Bolton said.

Gabriella nodded. "Troy told me about his dad's business partners."

"I'm surprised," Mrs. Bolton admitted. She walked toward a bench that was at the end of the street and sat down on it. Gabriella did the same. "He usually doesn't talk about it."

"I got that vibe," Gabriella admitted, laughing softly.

"Troy's whole life got ripped out from under him when everything happened. He only went to college for my sake, I'm sure of it," Mrs. Bolton explained. "He graduated as quickly as he could, and the second he got the chance to move here, he did… and I came with him."

"You didn't always live in Boyne City?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh, no," Mrs. Bolton said with a shake of her head. "We lived in Grand Rapids, in a mansion on top of some huge hill with a winding driveway and iron gates. Troy went on a vacation here once to visit Rocket and he loved it. Life was simple here."

"Why doesn't Troy find a job out here, then?" Gabriella asked. "He doesn't have to work four jobs."

"That's what I keep telling him," Mrs. Bolton replied. "He says having four jobs builds character."

"He has a lot of character," Gabriella commented.

Mrs. Bolton nodded.

"I think he's just making up for the fact that his dad wasn't liked by everyone. He wants to have a positive impact on as many people as he can before his time is up in this world."

"Does he think picking up trash has a positive impact on people?" Gabriella asked, half joking, half not.

"I think there's a method to his madness," Mrs. Bolton said. "He just wants to be happy. It doesn't matter what he has or who he's friends with, as long as the people he cares about are doing fine, he's fine."

"I've never had someone in my life like him," Gabriella admitted. "I'm glad I have him."

"I know he's glad to have you too," Mrs. Bolton smiled.

A convertible flew by them in the street. It was filled with a group of girls, all singing to the music playing from the radio, as a Jeep of guys followed them, all hooting and hollering after them. They were all absorbing the partially warm weather while they could. Gabriella watched them disappear down the road, laughter trailing behind them.

...

Troy and Gabriella's hands were clasped together as Troy walked Gabriella to her car. The sky was dark, and most everyone on Troy's street was likely tucked into their warm beds by now. Gabriella's black car was parked just a few houses away from Troy's, so they walked slowly to make their time together last longer.

"I love your mom," Gabriella told Troy. She hugged his arm with her free hand, and looked up at him. She smiled when he did.

"I'm glad to hear that," Troy replied. "She can be hard to get used to."

"Well, I like her," Gabriella said with a giggle.

They were almost to Gabriella's car by now, and their walk kept slowing. By the time they were standing by the driver's side of the car, they were laughing because they nearly dragged themselves there. They faced each other, and Troy brushed Gabriella's bangs away from her face.

The stillness of the night sprinkled a tired feeling over the two. They simply just looked at each other for a while before either of them said anything.

"Do you want to dance with me?" Troy asked, never looking away from Gabriella's eyes.

"In the street?" Gabriella asked, grinning.

"No one drives down here."

"Okay," Gabriella whispered. She stepped away from Troy, though, and turned toward her car. She opened the driver's side door and sat in the seat momentarily. Troy saw her open a navy blue CD case and slid the disk into the CD player before stepping out of the car again.

A soft song played from the open window of Gabriella's car once she shut the door, and she stepped back in front of Troy, placing her hand on his shoulder. Troy easily wrapped his arm around her and held her other hand in his. He inhaled the smell of her hair as he pressed the side of his face against her head. Gabriella smiled to herself.

"I've never danced with someone in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night," Gabriella said to him, interrupting his soft humming.

"You haven't lived then," Troy answered. His laugh rumbled against her hand, and she held him tighter.

"What other crazy things have you done?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, let's see…" Troy paused for a minute, going down the list of crazy things he had done and picked the ones he actually wanted to share. "How about going somewhere you don't know and trying to find your way back home?"

"Sounds tiring," Gabriella answered.

"Dying your hair blue," Troy listed.

"Never."

"Getting in a bar fight."

"You're making that up," Gabriella laughed, looking up at him. He wiggled his eyebrows and sent her a look that told her that he wasn't joking. She shook her head, waiting for him to continue.

"Falling in love's pretty crazy," Troy told her, dancing her around in a circle before just swaying in place with her.

"Hmmm," Gabriella hummed, smiling at him. "I agree."

Troy smiled down at Gabriella, running the hand that rested on her back through the ends of her hair, giving her the chills. Gabriella raised herself up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him and left the conversation at that, dancing in the street in the cool air and under the stars.

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**unknownbyhim22**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Wow, so I thought asking to get to 200 reviews was asking a lot but I got there... and in like a day! All of you wonderful readers make my day everyday! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story! Enjoy! I have a feeling you're going to like this chapter. :)**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter eleven

Gabriella hadn't talked to Monica since the day that she jumped off of her yacht. And in Gabriella's opinion, Monica wasn't too upset about the situation until today, because she had summoned for Gabriella to meet her at her house.

She was dressed casually for her visit with Monica. Her hair was air dried and curly, and her outfit consisted of a loose t-shirt and a pair of short shorts. Since it was the weekend, she was off of work, and luckily didn't have to wear dress clothes until Monday.

The clanging of the doorbell echoed in Monica's house, and Gabriella could hear it from her spot on the front porch. Her sunglasses were resting on the top of her head and her freshly shaven legs shinned in the sun. The front door opened swiftly and Gabriella was surprised to see Connor answer it in a bathing suit, a floating device around his waist.

"Hey, Gabs," Connor smiled. He waved her into the house with the hand that wasn't holding the pink ring around his waist.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked.

"Mon's having a small pool party before the weather gets bad and they have to close down the pool. Didn't see tell you?"

"Uh, no," Gabriella shook her head as he closed the door behind them, and walked next to him while they walked toward the back. "I thought she wanted to talk to me about the other day."

"What happened the other day?" Connor asked.

"I left abruptly, let's put it that way."

"She doesn't seem too bothered," Connor replied. "She has a new boyfriend so she's kind of in la-la land right now."

"A new boyfriend?" Gabriella asked in surprise. "I saw her like two days ago and she was joking about joining a convent."

"Monica?" Connor laughed. "She's not exactly the nun-type."

"Trust me, I know," Gabriella replied.

They walked out onto the patio where their usual company was seated around and in the pool. Anthony was applying suntan lotion to a brunette she knew from high school- big surprise- and Monica was being pushed around on a raft by a guy Gabriella had never seen before. She assumed he was the boyfriend.

The backyard was sprinkled with the typical discarded empty cups and food, and Gabriella wondered who'd be sent out to clean everything up later. Monica's shrill voice met her ears after a minute of just watching the people lounging around the backyard.

"Gabriell-a!" she giggled. "Where is your bathing suit?"

"I wasn't aware that this was a pool party," Gabriella said, taking a few steps closer to the pool so that she wasn't shouting from the doorway leading out to the backyard.

"It was kind of a last minute thing," Monica answered. She moved her sunglasses away from her eyes to get a better look at Gabriella, but put them over her eyes once the sun was beginning to become too much. "You look tired, Gabriella, why don't you get a drink and bask in the sun for a little bit."

From next to the table of food, under the umbrella that shaded a good portion of the patio, Anthony snickered under his breath. Gabriella was suddenly aware of the eyes on her.

"Monica, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.

"I'm floating, Gabs."

"Now, Mon."

"Okay, jeez," Monica said. She motioned for her assumed boyfriend to pull her over to the steps leading into the pool, and he obliged. Gabriella rolled her eyes. Of course Monica would be dating someone who waited on her hand and foot. She stepped out of the pool, wrapping the towel that Angela handed her around her body.

Without any words, they walked into the house, away from the crowd outside. Gabriella turned to Monica, ignoring the fact that Monica's wet hair was dripping on her feet.

"Is there a reason you wanted me to come over?" She asked.

"Well, yeah, to hang out," Monica said with a shrug.

"I jumped off of your yacht the other day, remember? I figured you'd want to know why I did."

"I know why you did that, Gabs," Monica answered. Beyond them, Monica's dad was in the kitchen, bobbing his head to the radio that was playing from the counter. He was making himself a sandwich.

"You do?" Gabriella asked. Her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Obviously the sun got to you," Monica said.

Gabriella laughed briefly. The look on Monica's face was priceless. She was serious.

"That wasn't the reason, Monica."

"Then tell me, _Gabriella_," Monica hissed. Her eyes were slits now, just daring her to tell her the truth. Her arms crossed over her chest and she tapped her foot impatiently. "Are you going to tell me that you just can't _stand_ me anymore?"

"What if I did?" Gabriella asked in a whisper yell. She didn't want to make a scene.

"Listen, Gabriella, I don't know what has gotten into you. Ever since you started hanging around Hot Bod, you've gone all good girl."

"So you're upset that I'm being nice to people?"

"No, I'm ticked because you decided to grow a conscious and are ruining your social life by taking in poor little orphan life guards, or whatever he likes to call himself."

"You don't know him," Gabriella stated. She shook her head. Her heart was pounding.

"You're not like him, Gabriella," Monica told her. "You're like me, and Anthony, and Connor. You're rich and headed for success; that's what your life has always been about. Money. Success. Beautiful people."

Gabriella shook her head at the words that came out of Monica's mouth.

"Monica, how are you going to be successful when your idea of work is getting a tan?"

"Oh, I'm smarter than you in that category, Hun," Monica snapped. "I'm dating a _rich_ guy."

"Good luck, then, Monica," Gabriella said. "I'm leaving."

Gabriella turned to leave, her wedges pounded on the marble floor and she could hear Monica walking behind her. She felt Monica grabbed her arm, and then the burning sensation of Monica's fake nails digging into her skin. They faced each other, both glaring.

"When Troy empties out your bank account, or leaves you for someone richer, don't even _think_ about running to me with your problems," Monica said. Her hand gripped tighter into Gabriella's arm as her way of a warning.

"The difference between you and me is that I can take care of my own problems." Gabriella threw her free arm between them and shoved her away from her. The last thing she did before closing the front door behind her was slapping her selfish ex-best friend across the face for everything she had said about Troy.

...

So Gabriella hadn't thought rationally when she hit Monica. She had been completely irrational and was actually convincing herself that she wasn't a psycho as she drove herself home after nearly hyperventilating in Monica's driveway. There was something about the way Monica thought she knew everything that made Gabriella insane.

Her house looked calm when she pulled up to it. There was the glow of a TV on in one of the front rooms while all of the other rooms were dark. The afternoon sun was hidden behind the tall trees in her backyard. Opening her front door, she noticed that there wasn't anyone watching the TV that was playing, but instead, a light from her dad's office spilled out onto the wood floor and his voice was muffled behind the French doors.

When she was a step away from passing it, she made eye contact with her dad and he motioned for her to come inside. When Gabriella opened the door and greeted him with a weary smile, she saw her mother sitting in the chair that was set in the corner of the room.

"Hi," Gabriella said, sending them a confused look as to why they were both sitting in her dad's office while the rest of the house was still and dark.

"Would you like to tell us about your afternoon out?" Mr. Montez asked. He set his folded hands on the top of his desk and peered out at his daughter. He didn't look happy.

"Nothing really eventful happened," Gabriella told him. She glanced over at her mom who looked away when they made eye contact.

"Oh," Mr. Montez said with a raise of his eyebrows. "So slapping Monica isn't eventful in your eyes?"

Gabriella ran her hand over her eyes, rubbing them when she felt a headache spring to action. She started to sweat with each second she didn't answer him.

"She started it," Gabriella grumbled.

"Gabriella!" Mr. Montez's booming voice startled her, causing her to look him in the eyes, since he was obviously being serious. "This isn't junior high. We do not go around slapping people!"

"Look at what she did to my arm, Dad!" Gabriella said, showing him her arm that was red and imprinted with Monica's nails. Dried blood crusted over the marks.

"Gabriella, I don't care if that girl pulled out your hair while blackmailing you, but slapping her was not an appropriate action to take. You're lucky your mother and I are friends with Monica's parents or you would have been seeing yourself in a lawsuit."

"She's the one who invited me over," Gabriella defended herself. "She was asking for it the entire time I was there!"

"I don't _care_," Mr. Montez snapped. "You need to get your act together."

Gabriella didn't reply; she simply looked over at her mom, who was wringing her hands together, trying not to get involved.

"Can I go?" Gabriella asked.

"No," Mr. Montez said. "We need to have a serious talk about what's been going on in your life."

"Nothing has been going on, Dad," Gabriella said impatiently. "I'm growing apart from my friends because I'm realizing that they're not the kind of people I want in my life."

"What kind of people do you want in your life, Gabriella?" Mr. Montez asked. He rose from his chair, peering over his desk at her. It was his way of intimidating her.

"I don't know," Gabriella said. She focused her gaze on the burgundy chair that sat in front of her dad's desk.

"Monica's dad told me that you and Monica were arguing about a boy before you hit her," Mr. Montez said. Gabriella's attention instantly went to her dad, and she felt herself start to get light headed at the idea of her dad budding into her love life. "Who is he?"

"He's no one." Gabriella swallowed roughly.

"Who was the boy you were going on dates with a few weeks ago?" Mrs. Montez asked, finally talking about something she wanted to be involved in.

"It's the same guy, Mother," Gabriella replied. She sent her mom a look, trying to communicate that her comments weren't helping the situation.

"How long have you been seeing this guy?" Mrs. Montez asked.

Gabriella shrugged. "A couple of months."

"Is he the one you were arguing about?" Mr. Montez asked.

Gabriella shrugged again.

"Why doesn't Monica like him? What's wrong with him?"

Gabriella's stomach lurched forward, sending her lunch swishing around inside of her. Her dad had no idea.

"Nothing is wrong with him!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Nothing! That's why Monica doesn't like him, because he's perfect, and she's not used to being around someone as genuine as Troy."

"Troy?" Mrs. Montez repeated. She looked like she was remembering something, but she let her husband continue to interrogate Gabriella.

"I'm not talking about this anymore," Gabriella said, shaking her head. She could feel herself start to panic, and then the tears pooling in her eyes. "I hit Monica, okay? That's all that happened today, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't ask about Troy, because you'll ruin him for me! You'll ruin him like you've ruined everything that has ever meant something to me."

"Gabriella," Mrs. Montez started, feeling guilty.

"I'm leaving," Gabriella said, stepping toward the doors. "Just leave me alone."

...

The sun set seemed to be more perfect today than any other day Troy had seen it, in his opinion. The sky was splashed with pinks and purples, blues and oranges, and a few boats were floating in the water, watching from their own spots on the lake. The sun would be behind the water in at least thirty seconds, and Troy couldn't help but hope it'd stick around for a little bit longer so that he'd have something to watch as he finished his turkey sandwich.

He was leaning up against the ledge of the lifeguard tower and the sand below him was raked out and ready for tomorrow's visitors. The beach would be officially closed in a few weeks when fall was here, chilling the water and the air.

He heard a car door slam in the parking lot, but thought nothing of it until he saw Gabriella running down the beach. Troy was instantly concerned when she was close enough for him to see her face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she marched up the lifeguard tower stairs. Troy wanted to immediately know why she was upset, but before he could, she was wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his solid colored t-shirt and letting out a string of tears that Troy guessed she had been holding in until she got there.

He kissed the top of her head while he rubbed her back, waiting for her to calm down before trying to talk to her.

"I had a really shitty day," she told him.

"You have to stop having those," Troy said, pulling away from her subtly so that he could look at her. She wiped at her face, shaking her head. "Sit down, come here."

Troy led her to the top step of the stairs and sat down with her. It was obvious that she was trying to make herself stop crying. She held onto his arm.

"What happened?"

"Monica invited me to her house, so I went," Gabriella said, pausing to take a deep breath in between hiccupping. "And she said some really terrible things."

"What did she say?" Troy asked. He pulled Gabriella closer to him as he put his arm around her.

"Nothing," Gabriella whispered. She ran her hand through her hair and set her arm on her knee. The nail marks that Monica left were now visible for Troy to see.

"What happened to your arm?" Troy asked, forgetting about the fact that Gabriella was avoiding telling him what Monica had said to her.

"Monica."

Troy shook his head and reached behind him. He leaned back as far as he could and expertly grabbed the first aid kit that had been shoved in the corner of the tower. He opened it and pulled out an alcohol swab and a band aid.

"I hope you didn't let her think doing this was okay," Troy said. He ripped open the package with his teeth and took out the white square.

"I didn't," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. She grabbed Troy's arm when she felt the burn of the alcohol on her skin.

"Sorry," Troy whispered.

"I hit her."

Troy looked up from the nail marks in surprise. He tried to detect some sort of joking expression in Gabriella's eyes but she was serious. Her eyes welled up with more tears.

"Are you serious?" Troy asked. He couldn't control the quiet laugh that escaped his lips. Gabriella frowned at him. He placed the bandage over the cut and tossed the garbage in the first aid kit, closing it and shoving it away.

"It's not funny," Gabriella told him. "They were going to sue me, but my dad talked them out of it."

"I just can't picture you hitting someone, is all," Troy explained.

"Well, I did," Gabriella said. "My hand still hurts too."

She wiggled the hand that she had used to hit Monica and Troy wrapped his hand around it after kissing it.

"Was your dad mad?"

"So mad," Gabriella nodded. She leaned her head against Troy's shoulder. "What if they're all right, Troy?"

"About what?" Troy asked. He skillfully picked up her legs and set them over his lap. Gabriella snaked her arm around his neck.

"That we're too different to be together."

"We're different from each other, but that hasn't stopped us from being together for this long," Troy answered. "Being different from each other just makes us stronger."

Gabriella nodded.

"There are people in this world, Gabriella, who will hope for you to fail and to be miserable. You just have to find the people who want the best for you. Sometimes you just have to start over."

"I can't imagine starting over," Gabriella told him.

"It's not too bad," Troy said, grinning softly. "Take it from someone who's done it once before."

Gabriella lifted her head from his shoulder and looked directly at him. He looked like he hadn't shaved that day, because his face was shadowed by stubble. Troy pressed a kiss on her forehead, causing her eyes to flutter shut with the warmth of his breath on her skin.

"You better?" Troy asked, rubbing her arms when she shivered.

"Yes, thank you."

Troy nodded, lifting her chin up to give her a much needed kiss. She kissed him back, hoping as they pulled apart for air that this moment wouldn't end anytime soon, so that she wouldn't have to go home and relive the moments and conversations that occurred before she got here.

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**unknownbyhim22**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, Hello!**

* * *

Everything to Me

Chapter twelve

Gabriella rolled over in her bed, smashing her face against the fluffy pillow that lay unused on the other side of her bed. Her curtains were open since she forgot to shut them the night before, and the sun poured into her room. She was still in her clothes from yesterday because she was too tired and emotionally drained to change out of them when she got home. When she had stared at the ceiling for at least fifteen minutes, she decided to get up and get ready for her day.

Her shower lasted only ten minutes, and she pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before venturing out of her room and downstairs. The kitchen was empty when she got there. She poured herself a bowl of cereal, got herself a glass of water, and sat at the kitchen island with the newspaper.

Her parents walked in together five minutes later. Gabriella looked up at them, raising her eyebrows as her way of saying good morning while chewing her cereal.

"You got in late," Mr. Montez commented, sitting down next to her. He pulled out the sports section of the newspaper and began to look at it. Mrs. Montez sent him a warning look.

"Yup," Gabriella said, nodding.

"Did you think about our conversation last night?" Mr. Montez asked.

"Yeah, actually, I did," Gabriella answered.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"No," Gabriella said. She got up with her cereal bowl and went over to the sink. She set it there and dumped her leftover water down the drain. She turned to her parents, seeing them watching her. "I want you to meet him, though."

"Meet who?" Mr. Montez asked.

Mrs. Montez rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her just-poured coffee.

"Troy," Gabriella said.

Mr. Montez looked over at his wife, like he had to ask permission to meet the guy his own daughter was dating. He didn't seem too sure he wanted to, either.

"We're having a dinner party in a couple of weeks," Mr. Montez said. "Maybe you want to bring him around then. He'll probably have a better chance of getting out alive that way."

Gabriella smiled softly, seeing her dad hide his smile behind the newspaper.

"Okay," she nodded.

"While you two smile away, I'll be stopping at the grocery store for a few things. Do you need anything?" Mrs. Montez asked.

"No," Gabriella said. She left them in the kitchen, running up to her room so that she could call Troy to tell him to start mentally preparing himself for meeting her parents.

...

Troy adjusted the red vest he had been given a few minutes ago and took off the name tag that read ROCKET on it. Rocket had called him early in the morning, asking him if he could take over his shift at the grocery store because he wasn't feeling good. Troy agreed since he knew Rocket would have done the same for him. Plus, he had the day off, so he didn't exactly have any plans.

The store was crowded, Troy noticed, as he walked out from the back employees' room, and through the dairy section of the grocery store. A toddler chewed on a corner of a box of macaroni as a mother talked on her phone impatiently. Troy raised his eyebrows at the toddler, catching the child's attention only briefly.

The lines coming from the cash registers were winding through the ice cream isle, and Troy hurried to the empty cash register, flicking on the light above his station so that people would know his line was open. When he was in his first year of college he worked at a grocery store near U of M, so he didn't need the usual don't-steal-the-money-from-the-cash-register-people-will-be-rude-to-you-if-you-don't-hurry talk.

His line was instantly filled with people in a rush to get out of there and he quickly started running the barcodes across the scanner. The _beep beep_ sound each time an item crossed the scanner sounded in a rhythm as Troy got used to his station. The teenaged girl bagging the groceries in paper bags, whose name tag read CANDY, shyly glanced at him from her spot by the cart. She blushed when he smiled at her.

"Your total is…" Troy started, pressing a few buttons before seeing the large total on the screen. "Two hundred and fifteen dollars."

"Of course," the man said as he pulled out his wallet. He slide out a worn debit card and passed it to Troy. He grumbled as Troy swiped the card and the price disappeared from the screen.

"Have a good day," Troy said with a nod. Candy passed the man his filled-to-the-top cart and gave him a short wave.

Troy instantly started to ring up the next customer's food, which she was still piling on the conveyer. He sent her a smile when she said hello to him. He set a carton of eggs by Candy, instead of letting them take the ride down the conveyer. The woman finished putting her groceries on the conveyer and pushed the cart over to Candy, who started filling it with the packed bags. The woman watched the price on the screen continue to increase, and brought out a shinny gold credit card, tapping it on the ledge until Troy finished.

"One hundred fifty dollars and twenty two cents," Troy said.

The woman handed over the credit card with barely a flinch and smiled at Troy. Troy couldn't help but feel like he had seen the woman somewhere before.

"Can I see your ID?" Troy asked so that he could match the name on the card with the name on her driver's license.

The woman nodded, pulling out her driver's license from her COACH wallet. Troy glanced at the license and then peered at it closer. He looked up at the woman, then back down at the picture on the license. Mrs. Montez was standing before him, and he didn't know how to respond. He went for what they had in common.

"You're Gabriella Montez's mom?" Troy asked, giving her license back. She swiped the credit card and nodded.

"Yes, I am," she smiled. "Do you know her?"

"I do," Troy said. He sent Candy a look, who took it as her Q to stall.

"What's your name?"

"Troy." Mrs. Montez's eyes twitched with recognition, and she opened her mouth to say something. Her eyebrow rose with what looked like concern.

"You're, Troy… Troy?" Mrs. Montez asked slowly. "Like as in, Troy… the guy who's coming over to our dinner party in a few weeks?"

"Oh, I didn't know I was coming to your party, but, uh, I _am_ dating your daughter," Troy said. He laughed shortly. Candy started packing the groceries quicker.

Mrs. Montez swallowed roughly. She looked like she was starting to sweat.

"Do you work here?" she asked.

Troy smiled, and looked down at the scanner. A red laser bounced off of his hand as his hand rested near it.

"No, I don't work here." She looked relieved, her chest falling, like she had been holding her breath. "I'm just filling in for a sick friend."

"How nice," Mrs. Montez said, smiling quickly. "I should be going."

"Nice to meet you," Troy said, nodding.

"You too."

Troy watched as Mrs. Montez pushed her heavy cart out of the grocery store with ease. From the big window that looked out to the parking lot, he could see her power walking to her car. He turned to his next customer and sent them a smile.

"How are you doing?"

...

Gabriella walked down the sidewalk of December Street, toward Troy's house. He hadn't picked up his phone when she called him, so she figured he was either working on his day off, or still fast asleep, but in any case, she wanted to let him know that he was going to be meeting her parents.

Mr. Silverman was sitting on his rocking chair, and Gabriella waved to him from the sidewalk.

"Hi, Mr. Silverman."

"Hello, Miss Gabriella," Mr. Silverman said. He waved at her with a pleased smile on his face.

Gabriella jogged up the porch steps leading up to the Boltons' front door, smoothing out her hair before knocking on the glass window of the door. Within a minute, the door was swinging open, and Mrs. Bolton was waving at her happily.

"Gabriella, what a surprise," Mrs. Bolton said as she opened the front door.

"Hi, Mrs. Bolton, I was just wondering if Troy was home."

"He's actually covering for Rocket at the grocery store," Mrs. Bolton explained. "Even on his days off he finds a way to work."

"Oh," Gabriella nodded. "I can just call him later then."

"Come on in, Gabriella," Mrs. Bolton said, opening the front door further. "I'm sure he'll be back in an hour or so, if you want to wait for him."

"Sure," Gabriella smiled.

Gabriella followed Mrs. Bolton into the house, and they both sat down at the dinner table across from each other. The TV was playing, but the screen wasn't visible from the table.

"So," Mrs. Bolton started. She had a cup of coffee in her hands, one that was already made before Gabriella got there. "How have you been?"

"I've been okay," Gabriella replied. "I've been working a lot, keeping myself busy."

"You work with your dad, right? I think I remember Troy mentioning it before."

"Yeah, I work with my dad. It's definitely a little weird."

Mrs. Bolton laughed softly as she nodded to Gabriella's response.

"How are you, Mrs. Bolton?" Gabriella asked. "How's your leg."

"Healing," Mrs. Bolton answered. She sent Gabriella a weary smile, like she meant it in more than one way. "Hopefully I can get back to work soon. I hate to see Troy spending all of his money on bills."

"When was the last time he actually splurged on himself?" Gabriella asked curiously.

"High School," Mrs. Bolton said with a shrug. "He bought a black convertible."

Gabriella felt a pang of sorrow rush through her body, like she was picturing a younger Troy selling the car he had told her about when she drove him home in her own.

"I'm sure he likes being able to take care of you," Gabriella said after a pause in the conversation.

"He shouldn't have to though," Mrs. Bolton said. She took a sip of her coffee and glanced over at the TV, looking back when she realized she couldn't see the screen from the table. "I'm sure Troy will be home any minute."

Gabriella nodded, smiling softly as Mrs. Bolton swirled her coffee around with a spoon. They sat like that for a little while, just listening to the sound coming from the TV. When the front door opened, and the sound of jingling keys interrupted the silence, Gabriella was relieved.

Troy looked up from his keys and instantly smiled when he saw Gabriella.

"Hey," he greeted her. He glided over to her seat and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you something," Gabriella said.

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that I'm going to your parents' dinner party?" Troy asked.

Mrs. Bolton smiled at the idea, and Gabriella raised her eyebrows in surprise. She shook her head at him, confused.

"How'd you know?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, I was filling in for Rocket at the supermarket, and I was the one who rang up your mom's groceries," Troy answered. He snatched a green apple from the kitchen counter and then sat down at the table.

"Oh, no," Gabriella said slowly.

"Oh, yes," Troy said, taking a bite of the apple. He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing really," Troy answered. "She kind of looked shocked."

"I have to go," Gabriella said, standing up from her chair. "If I know my mother at all, she'll make up a completely false identity for you when she tells my father about you."

"Good luck," Troy snorted. He didn't seem too surprised that Gabriella had to leave to defend him. He knew how rich parents could be.

"I'll give you the details about the party later," Gabriella said as she went for the front door. "Hopefully, this isn't the last time you see me."

She said her departing sentence in a dramatic, deep voice, and Troy laughed as she disappeared behind the front door. He grinned as he took another bite of his apple, and when he looked over at his mom, she was looking at him with a smirk on her face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Troy asked.

"Oh, no reason." Mrs. Bolton smiled. "I just noticed something."

"What?"

"Nothing," Mrs. Bolton said with a shake of her head.

...

Gabriella rushed home after leaving Troy's house. When she got home, her mom's car was parked in the driveway, the trunk open. The groceries were all taken out of the truck, so Gabriella closed it before going inside. She found her mom in the kitchen with her head hidden in the refrigerator, stuffing vegetables in the slide out drawer.

"Uh, hi, ma," Gabriella said as she slid into the bar stool at the kitchen island. "How was grocery shopping?"  
Mrs. Montez surfaced from the refrigerator, sending Gabriella a suspicious look.

"I meet your friend, or what ever you call him," Mrs. Montez said. She pulled out packages of Lean Cuisine from a paper bag and set them on the granite counter top.

"Which one?" Gabriella questioned.

"The only friend you have that works at a grocery store," Mrs. Montez answered. "Troy."

"Troy doesn't work at a grocery store," Gabriella said, faking a short laugh. "His best friend does, though; maybe he was just filling in for him."

"Oh, he was," Mrs. Montez said with a nod. She took more groceries out of a different bag and looked at Gabriella. "But then that got me wondering. If he had a legitimate job he wouldn't have the time to fill in."

"He had the day off."

"Gabriella," Mrs. Montez started. She set her hands on the island counter, slapping the granite in a dancing rhythm. "What does Troy do for a living?"

"He does a few things." Gabriella shrugged.

"Gabriella."

"He's a lifeguard," Gabriella said quickly. Mrs. Montez laughed, shaking her head. "He also bartends and does some construction."

"Oh, is that all?" Mrs. Montez said sarcastically. "Jeez, I'm surprised he doesn't also pick up the trash. That job would fit perfectly with the others."

Gabriella looked down at her hands. She bit her lip.

"Oh, gosh, Gabriella, please don't tell me he does that also."

"Not often," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. "Just when they need him."

Mrs. Montez crumbled up an empty paper bag, seeming to be in disbelief. Gabriella sat quietly in her seat, waiting for Mrs. Montez to stop slamming the groceries on the counter.

"How did you even meet this guy, Gabs?"

"Anthony took me out too far on the lake one day in the summer and then left me there, basically, to _die_ and Troy was working that afternoon. He brought me back to shore."

Mrs. Montez let out a long sigh.

"Well, I'm sure the whole hero saves the damsel in distress will wear off eventually. Maybe I don't have to worry."

"Mom," Gabriella started, glaring momentarily at the older woman in front of her. "Nothing is going to wear off. Troy isn't just some guy to me."

"Gabriella, you need someone who's going to be able to take care of you. A garbage man will not be able to."

"It's not about money or status to me, Mom," Gabriella said. "Obviously you wouldn't understand."

"Hey," Mrs. Montez said sternly. She sent Gabriella a warning look. "Do not tell me what I do and do not understand."

"I'm just saying, _Mother_," Gabriella started. "He means… everything to me."

"And I'm sure you mean nothing to him," Mrs. Montez said harshly. She didn't backtrack when Gabriella looked hurt. "Let's be real here, Gabriella, the chances of someone like Troy being remotely interested in someone like you for anything other than your money is slim to none."

Gabriella stood up from her chair, shaking her head at the words coming from her mother. She shouldn't have expected for her mother, former Miss Michigan and President of the gardening club, to accept her being with Troy. And she was crazy to think her father would eventually learn to like him.

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions, Mom," Gabriella said. "I'll be bringing Troy to the party, because although you don't like him, I just so happen to be in love with him."

Mrs. Montez shook her head, turning back to the groceries without another word.

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**unknownbyhim22**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, everyone! I opened fanfiction today to see that it was changed again and it really annoyed me! I don't like it! Well, here, it's really hot and nice outside, but I'm stuck studying for finals. I only have three more days of school and literally can not wait until summer! This chapter is a filler chapter, but the rest of the chapters after this one I know you'll all love! Enjoy!**

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Everything to Me

Chapter thirteen

Troy jogged down December Street for the second time that morning. He was jogging since he had the day off and since it was cool enough not to get over heated. He had already jogged around the entire town once and was going for a second round. Occasionally, he'd hear the soft giggle of a girl as he passed shirtless or see the raised eyebrows of older women, but he wasn't fazed. He simply kept his pace going and thought of the only girl that he was interested in.

He passed the bar that he worked in, and waved at the garbage men collecting trash from the town. When he passed the beach, he could see Rocket lying underneath the lifeguard tower with a hat pulled over his eyes and a female companion snoozing next to him. Troy grinned to himself, wondering if the girl was just another girl who Rocket thought needed some sunscreen or was actually someone he was interested in.

Troy turned passed the beach, going toward the tree lined road that lead up to the mansions on the other side of the lake. His calves burned as he ran faster up the hill to be able to make it up quicker, and just as he made it to the top of the hill, he heard a horn honk. He glanced behind him and smiled when he saw Gabriella slowing next to him. She was in her work clothes, sunglasses pulled over her eyes.

"Hey, Hot Bod," Gabriella said.

Troy laughed, shaking his head at her as he kept running.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you working?" Troy asked.

"I'm on my lunch break. I'm tired of eating Lean Cuisine, so I decided to come home for lunch," she explained. "Are you going to slow down or are you going to make me keep going five miles per hour?"

"I'm so going faster than five miles per hour," Troy said, looking at her.

"Okay, you're more in the range of eight to ten," Gabriella said.

Troy slowed down, letting Gabriella stop her crawl down the road. He breathed heavily as he set his hands on his hips. Gabriella grinned at him.

"Do you want to come to my house for lunch?" Gabriella asked. "My parents aren't home."

"Well in that case," Troy started, smiling. "I'll meet you at your house."

"You don't want a lift?" Gabriella asked.

"I'll just run. It's not that far," Troy answered.

"Okay, I'll race ya," Gabriella laughed, seeing Troy take off the second she said it. She pressed on the gas and made her way home, passing Troy on her way there. He was smiling when she saw him in her rearview mirror.

Once Gabriella was parked in her driveway and out of her car, Troy was running up the driveway, his sweat glistening in the sun.

"Do you always go jogging in the morning?" Gabriella asked. They walked hand in hand as Gabriella lead him through the garage and into her house.

"Just when I get a day off," Troy answered. "I have to live up to my Hot Bod nickname."

Gabriella giggled at his answer and kicked off her heels by the garage door. Troy instantly looked around the large house. They were in the living room once they moved away from the garage entry way, and the ceilings were tall and modern. The furniture was new and virtually untouched, he noticed. From the living room, part of the kitchen could be seen.

"Okay, so I think I have time to basically make sandwiches, is that okay?" Gabriella asked as they went toward the kitchen.

"Sounds good to me," Troy said. The kitchen was extremely expensive looking. It had granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Troy's kitchen used to look the same when he was in his old house.

Gabriella went to the large refrigerator, disappearing behind the heavy door as she pulled out the lunch meat. She set the bags of lunch meat on the counter before grabbing two plates from the cabinets next to the refrigerator. Troy stood next to her as she opened the bags.

"Ham or turkey?"

"Turkey," Troy answered. He grinned when she tossed him the turkey and opened the bag of ham for herself. He quickly washed his hands in the sink next to her and made himself a sandwich. "How's work going today?" Troy asked as he cut his sandwich down the middle. Gabriella cut hers on a diagonal.

"Good but busy. I'm slowly becoming friends with a girl named Suzanne. She's a little crazy but she always has great stories to tell," Gabriella answered. She led Troy over to the kitchen table and they both sat down next to each other, facing the windows that looked out at the backyard.

"Well, I'm glad you're liking it there," Troy answered before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Me too."

Gabriella absent mindedly rubbed Troy's back, both of them falling into a good silence as they ate lunch together. Gabriella liked the feeling of coming home and having lunch with Troy, even if they weren't saying much. It definitely beat eating with the fishes in the aquarium staring back at her.

"I feel like your parents are going to walk in any minute," Troy admitted as he leaned back in his chair. "I bet they would just be thrilled to see me sitting in their kitchen shirtless."

"I'm sure they'd completely understand why I like you so much if they saw you right now," Gabriella joked, winking at him.

"I feel used," Troy joked back, reaching over to her so that he could play with her hair. She was starting to get the feeling that her long hair intrigued him.

"I should probably get back to work," Gabriella told him after looking at her black watch that was wrapped around her right wrist.

Troy nodded, scouting back the kitchen chair so that he could stand up. He took Gabriella's plate and his own and set them in the sink. Gabriella watched before taking his hand and walking to her car with him.

"Do you want a ride home?" Gabriella asked.

"I think I'll just run there," Troy said, still holding her hand as they faced each other.

"You'll probably regret that since you just ate."

Troy shrugged. "It's mostly down hill from here. You have to get to work anyways."

"Okay," Gabriella said in a sing song voice. "But don't call me when you're hunched over in the street cramping and all that."

"I won't." Troy laughed.

"I'll see you later," Gabriella said. She gave him a quick kiss, squinting at the sun.

"What time do you get off?"

"Around six, why?"

"Meet me at the park," Troy told her.

"The park?" Gabriella questioned. "What are we going to do at the park?"

"Take a walk, play Frisbee, I don't really know, but then again, I'm not much of a date planner," Troy said, stepping away from her.

"I agree, fisher," Gabriella laughed, making fun of him slightly for taking her fishing on their first date.

"I'll see you after six," Troy said as he started making his way down the driveway. He didn't turn around to wait for her list of curious questions, but he could tell she was watching him leave before he turned the corner and disappeared down the road.

...

Gabriella had changed into a grey t-shirt and a pair of jeans to meet Troy at the park. She had an army green jacket pulled over her t-shirt since it was starting to get cold outside. Her car was parked in between two mini vans and she waited on a blue bench until she saw Troy walking through the playground, coming toward her. She met him halfway and greeted him with a kiss.

"So what's the plan?" Gabriella asked. "I've been wondering about this all day."

"I figured I'd teach you how to play Frisbee," Troy answered. He pulled out a Frisbee from underneath his arm, and Gabriella laughed.

"How do you know I don't know how to play?" Gabriella asked as they made their way toward an open area. Troy raised his eyebrows at her and she laughed again. "Okay, so I don't know how to play."

"It's easy," Troy said as he jogged a good distance away from her. "Ready?" he yelled from his spot.

"Sure!" Gabriella replied, squealing when Troy threw the Frisbee and it came soaring at her. She caught it between two hands and felt the rough plastic scratch at her hands. Gabriella tried throwing it back, but it ended up bouncing on the grass and rolling on its side over to Troy.

"That was pretty bad," Troy laughed. Gabriella playfully frowned at him, and he made his way over to her with the Frisbee. "Hold it like this," Troy said once he was next to her.

He held the Frisbee in his hand so that the back of his hand was pointing to where he was going to throw it. He handed it over to Gabriella and she held it like he had been holding the plastic disk.

"Now all you have to do is flick your wrist toward your target," Troy said. He held his hand over the hand that was holding onto the disk and he rested his free hand on her stomach after his arm wrapped around her. "Like this," Troy said, flicking his wrist with her hand in his hand. He kept a good grasp on her hand so that she wouldn't let go of the Frisbee. "But when you flick your wrist you just have to let it go, okay?"

"Okay," Gabriella nodded. "I'll try, but having you hold me like that was pretty distracting, so I don't know how much of that information I actually absorbed."

"At least you're honest," Troy said with a laugh. He jogged back to his spot, turning to see Gabriella tapping the Frisbee on her palm as she waited for him to be ready. She held the Frisbee the way he showed her to once he was standing waiting, and then she threw it to him.

The Frisbee soared over him, and then bounced a few feet away from him, but other than the too long of a throw, it wasn't bad.

"Good job!" Troy shouted to her as he collected the green disk from the ground.

Gabriella squealed in her spot across from him and gave him a thumbs up. He grinned as he threw it back to her, watching as she hesitantly caught the quick moving disk in between her hands.

"Do you think I could go pro at Frisbee?" Gabriella asked jokingly.

"It's very possible," Troy said back, catching the Frisbee that she threw at him.

Gabriella smiled, catching the Frisbee he threw back at her. They tossed the Frisbee to each other for an hour before they called it quits, and now, as the sky darkened and the kids on the playground went home, Troy and Gabriella walked hand in hand on the sidewalk that looped around the ponds and playgrounds. They were currently talking about Rocket.

"I saw him with a girl this morning," Troy told Gabriella. "I don't know who that girl is to him, but they were definitely together."

"That makes me so excited," Gabriella said. "I mean, Rocket is such a sweetheart, the idea of him being alone is just so sad."

"I don't know, I feel like a girl would have to be crazy to like Rocket," Troy said with a laugh. He snaked his arm around her waist and Gabriella did the same to him.

"Stop that," Gabriella laughed. "I bet he thinks the same about you."

"That would make you crazy then," Troy pointed out.

"I stepped right into that one, didn't I?" Gabriella asked.

"You did."

"Well, I'm happy for Rocket if he is dating someone. I can't imagine life without love."

"If he is dating, it's definitely a change of heart. He's the one who told me that women are ugly once you get to know them."

"That's so mean," Gabriella said in surprise. "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know," Troy said honestly. "He's an odd dude."

"That he is," Gabriella agreed.

"Enough about Rocket, let's talk about you," Troy said. The wind blew, causing a chill to run down Gabriella's spin. She leaned closer to Troy.

"Eh, I don't want to talk about me," Gabriella mocked a tantrum. "Let's talk about you."

"If you insist," Troy said with a smile, he rubbed her arm with his hand that wrapped around her.

"How are you feeling about going to my parent's dinner party?" Gabriella asked. She squinted when she looked up and looked directly into the setting sun.

"I'm not really worried. I know how to work a room," Troy answered. When Gabriella looked over at him, he was grinning, most likely covering up the truth.

"Fine," Gabriella started. "If you don't want to tell me the truth, you don't have to."

Troy pulled her tighter next to him and he chuckled as he kissed the top of her head.

"What do you want me to say?" Troy asked casually, keeping up the pace of their lazy walk.

"I don't know. That you're nervous and want to fake food poisoning on the eve of the dinner."

"Wow," Troy said, glancing down at her. "It sounds like you're the one who's thinking about it a lot."

Gabriella shrugged, hearing a twig from one of the many trees around them, snap under her foot. The wind picked up slightly, given them more reason to snuggle closer to each other.

"I'm just hoping for the best. I mean, I remember when I took a high school boyfriend to a party with me and he actually did fake food poisoning. I don't think he ever talked to me after that, now that I really think about it," Gabriella answered.

"Well, if for some reason I do decide to fake food poisoning, I'll be sure to let you in on it," Troy replied.

"That makes me feel much better," Gabriella said sarcastically.

"Don't worry," Troy said with a laugh. "Everything will turn out fine."

"Alright, but I'm holding you to that expectation," Gabriella said. "If the night goes anywhere but fine, you're the one who'll pay."

Troy laughed when he heard the giggle escape Gabriella's mouth and he simply let her comment sink in, continuing their walk down the paved walkways of the park. By the time they were back to that spot after making a complete 360, the sky was dark and speckled with stars. Most of the park goers were already tucked away in their mini vans and sleeping on their way home, but Troy and Gabriella were there for a while, until the sound of the crickets were the only noises left and the ponds were no longer moving with the wind.

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**unknownbyhim22**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, everyone! Sorry that I didn't update this weekend. I graduated, so I was busy with all of that end of the year stuff! haha Review so that I can update this weekend as usual! This chapter is definitly one of my favorites! I recommend reading EVERY word! This chapter is KEY to the rest of the story! I'm excited for you guys to read the next few chapters! :) Enjoy!**

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Everything to Me

Chapter fourteen

The contents of Gabriella's purse were strewn out all over her bed as she rushed around frantically in her room. She was looking for her first pay check, the one that she had received last night after flipping through the mail. It was in her purse, originally, but now, after some constant searching, she knew it was no longer there. When her bedroom door opened she quickly landed on her bed as if she had been organizing her purse instead of searching for her pay check.

Mrs. Montez walked in with a magazine opened in her hands and she smiled when she saw Gabriella.

"I'm thinking about buying this new dining room set, what do you think?" Mrs. Montez asked. She held the magazine open and Gabriella saw a cherry wood dining room table that could probably sit the entire White House staff. She shrugged when her mom took the magazine away from her view and looked at it for herself.

"It's nice," Gabriella told her. "It looks like it can fit a lot of people."

"I think it'll be perfect for our dinner party," Mrs. Montez nodded. "Has Troy RSVPed?"

Gabriella hesitated for a moment, wondering if her mom was going to start another spat about her choice in men, but Mrs. Montez simply kept flipping through the magazine as she waited for her daughter to answer.

"He said he's coming," Gabriella told her. Mrs. Montez nodded, bending the corner of one of the pages.

"Does he have any food allergies or preferences?" Mrs. Montez asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"No, he'll eat anything you make," Gabriella told her. She untwisted the cap to her chap stick in her purse and then put the cap back on. She looked up at her mom, waiting for another question or comment.

"Okay," Mrs. Montez said, turning to leave.

"Mom," Gabriella said once Mrs. Montez was at the door, ready to step out into the hallway.

"What?" Mrs. Montez asked. She closed the magazine and stuck it under her arm, leaning against the doorframe. Her coral colored nail polish shimmered as her feet brushed against the carpet.

"Thank you for trying," Gabriella said. Mrs. Montez lifted her chin as her way of nodding and pushed away from the doorframe. She observed Gabriella for a minute and then squinted her eyes slightly.

"Your pay check is on the ground."

Gabriella opened her mouth to say something, but Mrs. Montez was already gone by the time she peered over the side of her bed and saw her paycheck sticking out from underneath her bed. She laughed inwardly, wondering how she had missed that in the first place. She quickly put all of her junk back into her purse, grabbed the check, and headed for her door. She was looking forward to putting her first check in the bank.

...

The bank was crowded when Gabriella stepped into the building. There were lines of people waiting impatiently with envelopes filled with pay checks and extra cash. People were leaving and coming simultaneously, but Gabriella didn't notice too many of them, since she was only thinking about her pay check being put in her bank account, which would soon be full enough to be able to move out of her parents' house and start her own, unbothered life.

An African American woman stood in front of her and she was holding the hand of a young toddler, whose curly black hair was some of the cutest hair Gabriella had ever seen. The toddler actually reminded her of Chad, and she made a mental note to ask Troy about his friends.

The line moved quickly and within a half hour, Gabriella had put all of her pay check into her back account except for five hundred dollars of it. She figured she could get by with using only five hundred dollars until her next pay check. If not, her parents weren't the kind to hesitate sneaking a hundred dollar bill in her wallet when they thought she might need it.

On her way out of the bank, she looked down the long road that weaved back to the beach. There was a couple bike-riding along the sidewalk, each with a rain resistant coat tied around their waists. During the fall, no one could be too sure what the weather was going to be like.

Gabriella got into her car, and pulled away from the curb, letting someone else parallel park in the street for their visit to the bank. When Gabriella turned onto December Street, she knew that she couldn't get away with passing by Troy's house without saying hello. Mr. Silverman was sitting on his front porch.

The windows of Troy's house were opened, Gabriella noticed, as she walked up to the house after parking a few steps away. Dried, colored leaves covered the walk way and they cracked under Gabriella's feet as she walked up to the front door.

"Hello, Gabriella!" Mr. Silverman said. "Hope you're here to break the tension!"

Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what exactly Mr. Silverman meant by his comment. She dropped her hand from the doorbell before she could ring it.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked, taking a step away from the door so that she was just a step closer to Mr. Silverman's porch.

"They've just been arguing a lot today. I don't think they realized the windows were open."

Gabriella nodded, glancing inside the house.

"You just missed Troy. He stormed out a few minutes ago," Mr. Silverman mentioned.

"Oh," Gabriella said, disappointed.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella turned to see Mrs. Bolton standing in the doorway, the front door held open with her hand. She forgot she was standing in clear viewing distance from the inside of the house.

"Hi, Mrs. Bolton," Gabriella said with a smile. "I was just stopping by."

"Come on in," Mrs. Bolton said. She held the door open further for Gabriella and she glanced over at Mr. Silverman after seeing Gabriella send him a look.

Inside, Gabriella noticed how the entire house seemed to be turned upside down. The couch cushions were knocked off of the couch, revealing the stray popcorn kernels that had most likely fallen through the crakes between the cushions. The kitchen had dirty dishes covering the counter, and the dishwasher could be seen open and empty, a red tool box sitting next to it.

On the dining room table, a pile of change was sitting in a small heap, and Gabriella didn't say anything as Mrs. Bolton shut the windows in the family room.

"Is everything okay?" Gabriella asked.

Mrs. Bolton nodded, shoving the couch cushions back on with a hint of embarrassment in her body language. She tidied the magazines sitting on the coffee table.

"Everything's okay," Mrs. Bolton answered. "Just a stressful day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Gabriella asked, gripping her purse awkwardly.

Mrs. Bolton sunk onto the couch, her shoulders heaving with a loud sigh, and Gabriella went quickly over to the couch, sitting down next to the middle aged woman. She set her purse on her lap, leaning her shoulder against the couch.

"The dishwasher broke," Mrs. Bolton told her. "It broke and there are about five different bills due this month, so I'll be washing dishes for the rest of eternity. I've spent the day tearing the house apart in hopes of finding spare change."  
"How was the search?" Gabriella asked.

"Three dollars and fifteen cents," Mrs. Bolton answered.

"Just enough to buy dish soap," Gabriella answered. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Mrs. Bolton said with a forced smile, trying to regain her once there positive attitude. "I broke a dish the other day and a piece of glass got caught somewhere and ruined the thing. It's my fault entirely."

"I'm sure Troy could fix it," Gabriella assured her.

Mrs. Bolton shook her head.

"He was trying, but he gave up after a while. His arm is completely bruised now from trying to get the glass out. He just left," Mrs. Bolton told her.

"That's what Mr. Silverman told me," Gabriella answered. "You left the windows open."

"As if he didn't know enough of our business already."

"He's just a worried neighbor," Gabriella replied with a smile.

Mrs. Bolton nodded, resting her head against the back of the couch, looking up at the blank ceiling. Her hands rested on the couch cushions, her wedding ring catching Gabriella's attention again.

"If you want, Mrs. Bolton…" Gabriella hesitated, wondering if what she was about to say was out of place or rude. "I could help you with a bill or two. I really wouldn't mind."

Mrs. Bolton shook her head, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. She blinked rapidly, emotions clearly whirling around in her head. Gabriella was surprised when tears slid down the woman's cheek.

"No, no," Mrs. Bolton said. "I couldn't take your money."

Gabriella grabbed Mrs. Bolton's nearest hand and held it in her own. She didn't like seeing Troy's mom upset. Mrs. Bolton lifted her head, patting Gabriella's hand.

"You're a wonderful young woman," Mrs. Bolton told her.

"I'm serious when I say I'll help you," Gabriella told her again.

Mrs. Bolton's shoulders sunk, giving off the impression that the weight of the world was finally getting to her. Gabriella looked seriously at Mrs. Bolton, waiting, just waiting for her to finally give in.

"Troy would never go for it," Mrs. Bolton told her.

Gabriella's heart skipped a beat and her hands grew warmer.

"Troy doesn't have to know," Gabriella said. It was the first time she ever even considered lying to Troy, the guy who she loved more than any other before.

Mrs. Bolton looked into Gabriella's eyes, weighing her options. The gurgling of the broken dishwasher was the only sound as they both sat quietly. Gabriella's stomach churned as Mrs. Bolton nodded before looking down in embarrassment.

"Okay," Mrs. Bolton said in a whisper. "You can help."

Gabriella nodded, resting her back on the couch as she kept her arm linked with Mrs. Bolton's. They sat there, starring out at the blank TV for a while, taking in the silence of the house. Mrs. Bolton sniffled, wiping at her eyes occasionally, and before Gabriella left her be for the rest of her evening, she set the five hundred dollars that she had in her wallet on the coffee table.

...

Gabriella parked her car in the parking lot next to the beach, and sat in the car for a few minutes before getting out. The entry way to the beach was roped off, but she ducked under the rope, stepping onto the white sand. The police knew by now that she wasn't a trespasser, so she wasn't worried when she saw a cop car rolling on by.

She first saw Troy's feet when she got closer to the lifeguard tower. He was sitting on the step leading up to the tower and the pair of binoculars that were usually glued to Rocket's hands was sitting in his lap, one hand holding it carelessly.

"Hey," Gabriella said with a smile. "I thought I might find you here."

"And here I am," Troy said, smiling. Gabriella knew that the smile he was sending her was his fake one, and she stepped onto the first step, looking up at him, not moving any closer.

"Are you looking for hot babes?" Gabriella asked. She gestured toward the binoculars when he sent her a wondering look.

"Oh, no," Troy said with a shake of his head. "There was a huge boat pulling into the harbor, so I was watching it."

"I believe you," Gabriella laughed, faking that she didn't. He smiled shortly and set the binoculars behind him.

"What brings you here?" Troy asked. He rested his elbows behind him and leaned back, stretching his feet out to the next lowest step.

Gabriella moved up a few steps so that she could sit down next to him, and she did, keeping a few inches in between them. The sun was orange in the sky and the water rippled as the wind took it in one direction. Houses across the lake were occupied with families eating dinner on their balconies and others watching the sun.

"I just felt like seeing you," Gabriella answered. She leaned back on her elbows also, matching Troy's position. He looked over at her, seeming to doubt it, but nodded anyway.

The sound of a dog barking in the distance and a squawking seagull was the only noise as they sat saying nothing to each other, both thinking about their own things. Gabriella reached out and took Troy's hand, squeezing it so that he'd know she was still sitting there, basking in the quiet.

"Come here," Troy said, getting up quickly. Gabriella squeaked in surprise as he pulled her up from the stairs and began rushing down them. As Gabriella picked up her pace, running next to him, her hand still clenched with his, she wondered what he was up to. When their feet touched the wooden dock, her stomach tightened.

"Troy, what are we doing?" Gabriella asked, hesitating. He pulled at her hand, not answering.

Her whole body was screaming at her not to jump in the cold water as they got closer to the edge of the dock, but as Troy's arm went around her, nearly lifting her with him, she simply closed her eyes, hoped to land safely, and let out a scream that erased the stresses of life and made her feel free.

Bubbles rushed around her as she sunk into the lake. She was no longer being held by Troy, but the movement of the water let her know that he was somewhere close. The water was murky when she opened her eyes, seeing almost nothing since the sun was nearly gone. When her chest tightened, telling her to rush to the surface, she waved her arms next to her, pulling herself up to the surface.

She gasped for air as she brushed her wet hair away from her face and when she opened her eyes, she saw Troy doing the same right in front of her.

"It's cold," Gabriella said, her teeth chattering together.

Troy nodded, coming closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her, treading water at the same time. The tip of his toe brushed the bottom of the lake.

"Okay, so you have to tell me why you did this," Gabriella said. She snaked her arms around his neck, letting Troy move them closer to the dock so that he could firmly touch the bottom of the lake.

"I wanted to wash this day off of me," Troy explained.

"Ah, so you had a bad day?" Gabriella asked.

"I guess you could say that," Troy said. He kissed her quickly on the nose, smiling when she did.

"You know," Gabriella started in a whisper. "It's kind of nice being out here all by ourselves."

Troy nodded, looking out at the rippling water, which was colored by the setting sun.

"I agree," he said. "Although, being by ourselves in general is kind of nice. We always seem to get interrupted by someone."

"Do you remember when you invited me out here to watch the sunset with you after only knowing me for a little while? You were going to kiss me before the police officers interrupted the moment."

"You were going to kiss me, not the other way around," Troy said with a shake of his head.

"That's so not true," Gabriella laughed. "I never make the first move."

"Please, like you could have resisted this hot bod for much longer," Troy replied, grinning.

"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, then, because I know that _you_ were going to kiss me that night," Gabriella said.

"Fine, but you know you wanted to kiss me."

Gabriella laughed, her head falling backward with her genuine laugh. She shook her head at him, knowing that he could go all night just talking about how appealing he was to her.

"I'm glad we got interrupted," Gabriella admitted.

"Why?" Troy asked. "Was I too much to handle?"

Gabriella shook her head, smiling.

"No, I just liked that our first kiss was at the end of my driveway while it was raining," Gabriella told him. "It was straight out of a movie. I never had a moment like that before."

"Well," Troy started, grinning. "I'm glad I could give you your movie moment."

"Ah," Gabriella laughed. "We're being such teenagers right now."

"I know," Troy agreed, pulling her closer to him.

Gabriella leaned her head against his shoulder as her body got used to the temperature of the water. The sun was now hidden behind the trees and the water was dark with no more light source. Light from a pair of headlights quickly flashed across them, but disappeared when the car went on its way. Gabriella pressed her lips against Troy's cheek and then looked him in the eye.

Troy smiled at Gabriella, playing with the ends of her hair that floated on the top of the water.

"What would you consider me?" Gabriella asked Troy. The look on Troy's face when he heard the question told her that he wasn't sure how to respond. Gabriella simply kept her eyes on him, running her fingers along the back of his neck.

"I'd consider you my girlfriend," Troy answered. Gabriella bit the inside of her cheek giving off the impression that she was wondering what kind of answer she wanted to hear from him.

"Do you think you're in love with me?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked surprised. Gabriella shrugged when he didn't answer.

"It's okay if you don't," she said simply. "I was just asking."

Troy squinted at her, like he was trying to see if maybe she was testing him, seeing what he'd say or do in a situation where he was put on the spot. She didn't say anything, which surprised him even more. Any other girl would have pouted and stormed off if they got no answer, but Gabriella stayed simply pressed up against him, her stringy hair falling over her shoulders as her fingers running through his hair sent chills down his spine.

Gabriella kissed him on the corner of his eye, looking directly at him when she pulled away from him.

"It's really cold," she said. Troy nodded. Gabriella nodded.

Gabriella was headed toward the shore before Troy could say anything else. She walked until her feet touched the sand. When she was standing on land, she turned toward the water, looking out at Troy, who stayed standing waist deep in the water.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

Troy walked slowly out of the water, pinching the barely-there flab on his arm, wondering if maybe he was lying somewhere unconscious and this was his coma induced dream.

He took Gabriella's hand in his once he reached shore, and she leaned against his side as they walked up the beach, their feet and ankles becoming coated with sand. It was dark brown with the exposure to water. The lamppost lighting up the parking lot by the beach cast a glow over Gabriella's car and as Troy and Gabriella stood on the black top, they could see their reflections clearly in the black paint.

"Did your bad day get washed off of you?" Gabriella asked once she turned to him, face to face with him now. Her hair was dripping wet and Troy could feet the pitter patters of the water droplets rolling down his bare feet.

"It did," Troy answered with a nod. "Thanks for jumping in with me."

"I'd do it again. Maybe just on a warmer day," Gabriella replied, laughing softly.

Troy laughed with her, looking down at their sandy feet, smiling at her ruby red toenails. Gabriella's hand fell from his own, and when he looked up at her she was tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Goodnight, Troy," Gabriella said quietly. Troy watched her as she opened her car door and fished through her purse that she had left on the passenger's seat to get the keys. He made a mental note to tell her not to leave her keys in the car, definitely in an expensive one like hers.

"To answer your previous question," Troy said after Gabriella shut the door and rolled down the window. Gabriella looked up at him, her hands resting on the steering wheel. "I'm definitely in love with you."

Gabriella nodded, smiling softly, her face suddenly giving off the impression that she was tired.

"I know," Gabriella said quietly. "And I love you too. Remember that."

Troy sent her a slightly confused look, but she only smiled at him, pulling out of the parking lot. She stuck her hand out of the window as she pulled up to the street, turning on her turn signal, and waved at him, leaving him with a peaceful image of her pulling away in the darkness.

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**Much love, **

**unknownbyhim22**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, everyone! So I'm literally like a half hour away from leaving my house and heading to the airport for Colorado, where I'm going on an archeology dig. If it wasn't for my sister waking up first thing and asking if I updated, I would have left you hanging for three weeks with out an update... instead of just two? :) Don't worry though, this chapter just ends at the start of the rest of the story, so I don't leave you hanging too much! Enjoy!**

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Everything to Me

Chapter fifteen

A few days passed since Gabriella and Troy said in words that they loved each other. Ever since then, Troy and Gabriella had spent nearly every moment together when neither of them were working. Even when Troy would work at Irwin's bar and grill, Gabriella would be sitting by the giant window with her laptop, working or emailing Sharpay to gossip about Troy. There was little time when they were apart and Mrs. Bolton, along with Mr. and Mrs. Montez, were realizing that their relationship was nothing far from serious.

"Gabriella!" Mrs. Montez knocked on Gabriella's bedroom door early on a Saturday morning, barging in when she heard Gabriella's muffled response.

"I'm in here, Mom!" Gabriella called from her closet. Mrs. Montez walked toward her daughter's closest, seeing the trail of clothes that piled around the entrance.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Montez asked, peering into the walk in closet.

"I'm trying to find my purple dress," Gabriella answered. "I had it set out for tonight, but it's missing."

"I'm getting it dry cleaned, remember?" Mrs. Montez asked. She sent her daughter an annoyed look.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Gabriella answered. She clambered out of her closet and pushed past her mother so that she could get some fresh air. Her closet was polluted with hanging-around aromas of different kinds of perfume. "Will it be ready in time?"

"Your father is picking it up in an hour," Mrs. Montez told her. "He wants to make sure that you know that people from work are going to be there, so he needs you to be his perfect daughter as usual, okay?"

"I know, Mom," Gabriella said with a shrug, going over to her bed and shoving off the pile of clothes that were thrown there from her frantic search for her dress. "He has nothing to worry about."

"Alright, well, I'm going to need your help with a few things, so why don't you get showered up and meet me downstairs?"

"I'll be there in a minute," Gabriella answered, going toward her bathroom door. "No shower interruptions."

"It was one time, Gabs," Mrs. Montez replied with a sigh.

"Just making sure."

...

Even with the cool breeze hitting his skin, Troy was sweating as he hauled trash cans toward the garbage truck. He had had garbage pick up duty every day this week and his body was starting to feel the effects of being over worked. His hands were sore from gripping the handles of each trash can and from the extra shift he picked up at Irwin's place serving beer after beer.

The stench of the garbage over powered the smell of fires being burned in home fireplaces while people went on with their normal carefree Saturdays. His watch ticked away as the sun darkened with each passing hour and he picked up his pace so that he wouldn't be late for one of the most important dinner dates of his young adult life.

By the time Troy finished his shift, it was only an hour before the dinner party and he still needed to stop at home and shower. He went five over the speed limit when he went home, only slowing down to normal speed where he knew the speed traps were.

When he drove down his street, he saw a white truck in front of his house, on the side of it was a navy blue business name. A man with an over grown beard and a pair of dark rimmed glasses on was sitting in the front seat, turning on the car. Troy looked at him suspiciously, but the man simply waved and drove away.

After parking in the spot where the truck had been, Troy went up to his house, stopping only because Mr. Silverman called after him.

"Troy! It's nice to see you got that dishwasher of yours fixed!" he smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

"Uh, yeah, so nice," Troy said, faking a happy nod. "See you later, Mr. Silverman."

"See you, Troy!"

Troy pushed open his front door, instantly closing it behind him once he was inside, looking around for his mom. The dishwasher could be heard swashing water around, and he noticed that the dishes that used to be piled up in the sink were gone, most likely in the dishwasher.

When he saw that his mom wasn't in the family room, he walked down the hallway toward her room, knocking on her door, and pushing it open when he heard her tell him to come in.

"What's with the repairman?" Troy asked, taking a step into her room. Mrs. Bolton was folding laundry on her bed, sorting it by colors.

"The dishwasher was broken," Mrs. Bolton said with a shrug.

Troy looked at his mom in disbelief, wondering if she thought he was stupid.

"How much did that cost?" Troy asked.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Mrs. Bolton asked. "Maybe you should be worrying about showering, not questioning me."

Troy rubbed his forehead, sighing heavily as he looked at the woman folding his underwear.

"I'm going to shower," he said, gritting his teeth together. He turned and went toward the bathroom across from his room. He knew that once he was out, he'd be talking to his mom about getting the dishwasher fixed without telling him.

The steam covered mirror fogged Troy's view of his face after his shower and he rubbed his hand over it, clearing a spot so that he could see himself shaving. The white globs of shaving cream floated on the top of the water in the sink and only got bigger as Troy swished his razor in the water. He splashed his face with water and then unplugged the sink, letting the cloudy water swirl down the drain. He barely noticed the smell of his aftershave since it was so common to him, but he put it on anyway, a part of his routine.

He went to his room and pulled on a pair of black pants and a light purple button down work shirt, one that Gabriella told him to wear for the dinner, probably so they'd match. He tousled his hair slightly, erasing the perfectly combed look. When he saw his mom in her room he walked over, leaning up against the doorframe.

"Ma," he said, noticing how his mom was trying to seem completely occupied by the laundry. She was starting to refold shirts.

"You're going to be late," Mrs. Bolton told him. She looked up and set a shirt in her lap.

"How much was the repair?" Troy asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"It doesn't matter," Mrs. Bolton answered. "It's already paid for."

Troy shot her a wondering look, shaking his head.

"How's it already paid for? I just found out about it."

"Troy, lets not get into this conversation right now. Just go enjoy your night with Gabriella," Mrs. Bolton said, loading the laundry into the white laundry basket in front of her.

"Just tell me, Mom, or I'll be thinking about it all night," Troy answered. His chest rose with a frustrated breath and Mrs. Bolton shook her head.

"It wasn't that expensive," Mrs. Bolton said. "Like five hundred."

Mrs. Bolton waved Troy off when his eyes widened.

"Where did you get five hundred dollars to spend on a dishwasher repair?" Troy asked, the volume of his voice raising.

"I've had it saved up," Mrs. Bolton answered, standing up from her bed and tucking the laundry basket under her arm.

"You spent the rest of your savings on last months' bills, Mom, so I know that's not true," Troy answered, following her when she moved past him. She tossed the laundry basket into his room and moved on toward the family room.

"I don't want to have this conversation with you, Troy," Mrs. Bolton answered. She sat down on the couch and grabbed a magazine, opening it and pretending to read it. "You're ruining your outfit with your angry face."

"At this point, my outfit isn't what I'm worried about," Troy told her. "What bills aren't we paying off now that we paid for the dishwasher?"

"We're paying for all of our bills, Troy," Mrs. Bolton answered.

Troy sat down on the couch, setting his elbows on his knees as he looked over at her seriously. Mrs. Bolton tried to avoid his eye contact, but she finally just looked at him, setting her magazine down.

"Where'd you get the money?" Troy asked quietly. "Just tell me."

A panicked feeling raced through him when his mom sighed, shaking her head. The look on her face wasn't anything of regret or stubbornness, she simply looked sad. His heart raced when she shrugged and stayed quiet.

"Mom, what did you do?" Troy asked. "Seriously, I won't be mad."

"No, Troy, I think you'll be furious," Mrs. Bolton answered.

The nagging feeling in Troy's stomach only grew and his head fell into his hands as he shook his head at his mother. He could feel his face getting hot with anger and then the sudden feeling of wanting to cry and kill someone all at the same time took over him.

"You can't be serious," Troy said, lifting his head to look over at her. "You got the money from Gabriella?"

"She offered, Troy. She came here seconds after you stormed out the day the dishwasher broke. We sat and talked for a while," Mrs. Bolton told him gently.

"She was here that day?" Troy asked, his words catching in his throat.

Mrs. Bolton nodded. The memories of the night on the beach with Gabriella echoed in his mind. His heart was growing as cold as the water they had jumped into and his brain was turning as mushy as it had when Gabriella told him she loved him.

"I can't believe you accepted it," Troy said, standing up from the couch and storming away toward the front door.

"Troy, you better be going to that dinner!" Mrs. Bolton yelled after him, flinching when he slammed the door behind him.

...

The long dinning room table at the Montez's house was set. The plates were shinning and the napkins were perfectly ironed, while the crystal glasses were filled with ice water. Guests had started arriving two hours ago and as Gabriella hung up another guest's coat, she couldn't help but fish out a cell phone from a stranger's coat pocket and check the time. The closet lit up when she pressed the power button, and she groaned when she saw that it was already an hour and a half past the time she told Troy to show up. She tried not to think of all of the terrible things that may have happened to him while doing his trash pick up duties. For all she knew, he could have been thrown off the back of the truck, or worse, crushed in the back.

Gabriella's long purple dress glided on the smooth marble floor of her house as she smiled and talked to guests. Her parents had already mentioned once that they hadn't seen Troy yet, so she knew they were already judging him for not being on time.

"Gabriella!" Gabriella turned when she heard a familiar female's voice. She breathed a short sigh of relief when she saw Suzanne coming toward her, a handsome man her age holding her hand.

"Hey, Suzanne, I'm glad you're here," Gabriella said, hugging her when Suzanne extended her free arm to here.

"This is Ben," Suzanne said, pointing to the tall guy standing next to her. His face was shadowed with stubble, making him look rugged, and mismatched next to the perfectly manicured blonde, but somehow they worked together. It was obvious that they were in love.

"Hi, Ben, I've heard a lot about you," Gabriella said, sending him a wave.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ben said with a smile, hinting that he thought having to hear all about him was most likely boring.

"Don't be silly," Suzanne said with a laugh. "We love talking about you."

Ben grinned, nodding as his response and glanced down at the marble floor when he nothing to say. Gabriella smiled at them, and her eyes brightened when she heard the doorbell ring. Through the long window by the door, she could see a male's shadow on the porch and she hoped, as she excused herself from her current conversation, that when she opened the front door, Troy would be standing there with a good excuse.

She grabbed a long steamed glass from a waiter's tray and took a long swig of whatever alcoholic substance was inside of it before opening the door. When she saw the couple on the porch, she wished she had drank the entire glass, plus five more.

"Monica?" Gabriella said in disbelief. Her former best friend was standing in a red dress with her boyfriend draped over her.

"Hey," she said somewhat awkwardly, but brushed it off quickly when her boyfriend so oddly lent over and kissed her on her cheek right in front of her, like they had something to show. "Your parents invited mine, so they brought me along."

"Okay," Gabriella said, leaving the door open as she walked away so that they could walk in whenever they wanted to stop sending each other sexy faces, which she assumed they called the looks they were sending each other.

As Gabriella exchanged her glass for another, she found her parents standing by the staircase, greeting their guests, and when the most recent guests left them, she approached her parents, shaking her head at them.

"So I see you couldn't make this night easy on me," Gabriella said, casually looking out at the crowd of people in her house, so that it didn't look like she was arguing with them.

"We figured we'd patch up a few relationships," Mr. Montez answered, faking a smile. They could see Monica walking in with her boyfriend from their spot, and neither of them seemed bothered.

"Thanks a lot," Gabriella mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. She could see Suzanne giggling from something that Ben whispered to her as they both stood stabbing cubes of cheese. She smiled briefly, realizing that Suzanne wasn't who she seemed like on the outside.

"Speaking of relationships," Mrs. Montez started. Gabriella could feel the punch in her stomach coming as her mother seemed to talk in slow motion. "Where's Troy? He was supposed to be here a while ago."

"His shift at work lasted longer than he planned," Gabriella told them.

"Did you talk to him?" Mr. Montez asked.

"Just did," Gabriella said quickly, avoiding their eye contact. She could feel the pinching feeling in the back of her eyes as she looked out at the room, which was quickly blurring. She walked away before her parents could say anything else and she discarded her empty champagne glass on a waiter's tray, not picking up another one.

Pushing open the back door that lead out to her backyard, Gabriella tried to stay calm as the cool night air hit her skin. The stars in the sky were partially blocked by the tall trees in her backyard, but the glimpses she got were good ones. Her hair was falling loose from its up do, but she didn't care as she took deep breaths.

"I know what _that_ look means."

Gabriella turned to see Suzanne closing the back door as she stepped out onto the patio. She was holding a short glass and when she got closer to Gabriella, Gabriella noticed it was lemon water.

"Hey," Gabriella said quietly, turning back to the backyard, looking out at the trees.

"Something's wrong, right?" Suzanne asked. She tapped her finger nails against the frosted glass in her hand and looked over at Gabriella. Her black dress sparkled in the moonlight.

"I guess so," Gabriella answered. "My ex best friend is inside with her gross boyfriend and my boyfriend is nowhere in sight."

"Did he stand you up?" Suzanne asked in surprise, her eyes widening in pure disbelief.

"Who knows," Gabriella said with a sigh. "All I know is that I can't eat dinner with Monica sending me I-told-you-so looks."

"That gives you every more reason to get in there and eat dinner. If she thinks she affected you by coming here, she'll think she won. If you go in there and pretend like nothing happened, then you'll win."

"I don't think I'll last," Gabriella said.

"Well, if I sense that you're about to throw up, cry, or kill her, I'll orchestrate a diversion to get you out of there, okay?" Suzanne asked.

"Okay," Gabriella nodded. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. That's what friends are for," she smiled, giving Gabriella a side hug.

Gabriella smiled, knowing that Suzanne had no idea how much considering Gabriella as a friend meant to her. She finally started to feel like she could actually begin to start over. With the new confidence from Suzanne, Gabriella made her way back inside, hoping that the night would end up better than the dinner would.

* * *

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**Much love,**

**unknownbyhim22**


	16. Chapter 16

**Wow, everyone. I just got back from Crow Canyon Archeology Center in Cortez, Colorado! I'm so sad to no longer be there because it was such a beautiful state/place! It was literally the best week of my life! I flew into Alburquerque, New Mexico and then drove there, which is so ironic because it's home of HSM's plot. Yesturday I was traveling all day with my group and am now finally home and awake enough to update! I love you guys for reading and reviewing! Have a wonderful day! Enjoy!**

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Everything to Me

Chapter sixteen

Troy could see the sand of the beach from his spot sitting on the ledge of the lifeguard tower. He had contemplated jumping off, but he knew he'd land softly in the sand, and knew he wasn't far enough off of the ground to get hurt at all. A yacht was parked across the water and music blared loudly from it, making him wonder if people around the lake were just too used to the loud music to complain.

His stomach was empty since he was planning on eating at Gabriella's house, but never got there. He knew that if he went to the dinner with Gabriella, he wouldn't be able to fake that he wasn't mad at her; that he wasn't mad at the world for making his life difficult. He knew that Gabriella was probably squirming in her seat as she guessed what her parents were thinking.

...

The quiet music playing from the stereo hidden in the bar of the dinning room was the background noise to the many conversations taking place at dinner. Gabriella tried her best to ignore the empty seat next to her as she ate her salad. Suzanne sent her an occasional look when Monica would laugh too loud or brag too obnoxiously.

The dinner had quickly turned into every parent and businessman bragging about who had more money and who had the smartest kids, which left Suzanne, Ben, and Gabriella to talk amongst themselves since they had no kids to brag about and no businesses that were worth talking about on a day off.

By the time desert came, Gabriella was tired of listening to Monica's whiny voice and hearing Monica's boyfriend force fake laughs when he didn't understand what the older men were joking about. The ice cream in the crystal bowl in front of her was starting to melt, and she had only taken one bit of it before she was sick of the flavor.

"Suzanne," Gabriella started after another cackle from Monica. She sent her a look that meant she was suddenly taking her up on her previous offer about making a diversion. Suzanne nodded and leaned over to Ben, who seemed relieved when he heard the secret in his ear.

Suzanne cleared her throat loudly, causing the entire table full of people she worked with to look over at her. Her bright blue eyes seemed brighter in the candle lit and her angelic features had everyone believing every word that came out of her mouth as she spoke.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt your conversations, but I think I might be coming down with something. I should probably get going before I get anyone sick," she said, her eyelashes fluttering.

"Oh, that's too bad!" Mr. Montez exclaimed, seeming disappointed. She was one of his favorites.

"We don't want to keep you if you're not feeling well," Mrs. Montez said, smiling at the young woman from her spot next to Mr. Montez.

"Thanks for understanding, we'll be going now," Suzanne said. Ben stood up before she did and looked a little too eager to go, so Suzanne pinched him subtly on the arm as she looked over at Gabriella.

"I'll walk you out," Gabriella said with a smile.

The rest of the table was back to talking about the economy and the latest fashion trends by the time the three escapees were by the door. Gabriella went out the front door with them and followed them toward the driveway before any of them said a word.

"Alright, so what's the game plan?" Suzanne asked. Ben looked ready for a secret agent mission, like he'd been waiting all night for one to come his way. Gabriella glanced at the two, wondering about the game plan herself.

"I guess we find Troy," Gabriella said with a shrug.

"I'll drive," Suzanne said with a squeal, snatching the car keys out of Ben's jacket pocket. She motioned for Gabriella to follow her toward the car that was parked in the front of the house. The possibility of getting caught leaving by her parents didn't cross Gabriella's mind once as she picked up her dress and slid into the back seat of Suzanne's car.

The lamppost in the parking lot by the beach blinded Gabriella as she sat in the dark back seat of Suzanne's expensive smelling car. The three of them were just staring out at the beach, noticing how the moon shimmered its light onto the lake water.

"He's over there," Gabriella said after a minute.

"Do you see him?" Suzanne asked, squinting so that maybe she could see what Gabriella was.

"No, I just know he's there. Will you guys drive around for a little, while I figure out why he didn't come tonight?" Gabriella asked.

"Sure," Suzanne nodded.

"If you need anything, just call us and we'll be back in a second," Ben said, turning his neck so that he could see her in the back seat.

"Thank you," Gabriella said quietly, smiling at the two before pushing open the back door and stepping out onto the pavement.

Her dress shook with the wind and she kicked off her heels and tossed them onto the back seat before closing the door behind her. Suzanne sent her a thumbs up as she pulled away from Gabriella, leaving her underneath the lamppost, looking out at the beach.

Troy heard the car roll up to the beach as he stepped on floating devices so that they would deflate since winter was just around the corner and they wouldn't need them until spring time. They took up too much space the way they were currently.

"Well," he heard Gabriella sigh. "You got dressed, so I guess you didn't completely forget."

The pink plastic underneath him flattened and when he looked up, he saw Gabriella standing a few steps below him, leaning up against the handrail. Her dress moved with the wind and the pieces of hair falling from her bun waved across her face. Troy stepped on a purple ring, seeing the sand on the wooden floor move with the sudden blast of air. His stomach tightened at the sight of her.

"I didn't forget," Troy told her, his voice quiet.

"Then why are you here?" Gabriella asked. He could see red blotches on her cheeks, likely from the cold, but her eyes were dark, so he figured it was more likely from anger.

"I couldn't go," Troy answered.

"I thought you weren't worried," Gabriella said, moving up one more step. Troy took the two now-deflated rings and tossed them over the edge of the lifeguard station. He unplugged another one and tossed it on the ground, stepping on it.

"I wasn't," Troy said.

"Then why didn't you show up?" Gabriella asked. She felt her voice crack with the emotion she was feeling, and she shook her head at herself, annoyed. "I was sitting at a table filled with my dad's business partners with an empty seat next to me screaming at me, telling me that 'oh, yeah, you're a loner.'"

"I just couldn't go," Troy said, picking up the lifeless ring and tossing it over the edge. He threw it harder this time, sending it almost to the shoreline. His chest moved up and down, and his face was creased with anger.

"Why?" Gabriella demanded. "Just tell me why you couldn't go."

"I just realized we are two completely different people," Troy said. He grabbed the pair of binoculars that were sitting on the edge of the tower's counter and hung them up on a hook by the corkboard.

He eyed the board that was littered with funny napkins with love notes on them that were left on the beach by visitors and the concert flyers and money from people richer than he was.

"You've always known we were different," Gabriella said. "Why does that matter now?"

"We're just too _different_," Troy answered. He unhooked a twenty dollar bill from the corkboard, stabbing the tack back in the board once he pulled the money off of it.

"How?" Gabriella asked. Her voice shook slightly, clearly showing she was pissed.

"We're different because you can loan my mom five hundred dollars and don't even have to think about it," Troy answered.

The muscles in his back tightened when he heard no answer. He continued peeling the money off of the corkboard, making a stack of bills in his hand. He grabbed a bucket with a scrub brush in it once all of the money was off the board and made his way toward her.

"Here," he said, holding up the money and shaking it. "This is what we owe you."

Gabriella flinched when he slapped it in her hand and her fingers clenched around the crinkly green money. Troy moved past her, going toward the edge of the water. Gabriella marched after him, holding up her dress so that it didn't touch the sand with her free hand.

"What did you expect me to do, Troy, huh?" Gabriella asked, raising her voice at him as he bent over next to the water, filling the bucket halfway up before taking the scrub brush and cleaning the inside of bucket with it. "Was I supposed to just let your mom talk about how she felt bad seeing you pay all of the bills and not give up the five hundred dollars sitting unused in my wallet?"

"Yes!" Troy said, standing angrily from his crouching position. He slammed the scrub brush onto the ground, sending a splash of water onto Gabriella's dress. "That is exactly what I would have told you to do."

"Why?" Gabriella shouted.

"Because I can't give you that!" Troy shouted back at her. His chest rose with frustration and she stood shaking her head at him.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked, annoyed.

"When the moment comes when you need something as much as five hundred dollars in a matter of seconds, Gabriella, I won't be able to give it to you," Troy answered. "Did you not realize that giving my mom that much money means that we owe you now?"

"You don't owe me anything," Gabriella said through gritted teeth, her eyes filling with angry tears.

"You don't get it," Troy said, the veins in his neck were clearly visible to Gabriella as his anger only grew. "You go home everyday, Gabriella, to a place that gets new landscaping every couple of months because you have money to _throw away_ and you get the luxury of being able to pick which one of your cars goes best with your outfit. I don't have that. I don't have anything like that."

"So this is just some kind of ego thing?" Gabriella asked, her voice suddenly sounding like she was pleading with him to understand how she was feeling. "You can't be the one with ten cars so you feel threatened by the person who does."

"That's not what I said." His hand lifted in the air, falling down in anger against his side. He didn't want to explain himself to her.

"You were the one always telling me to start over, so why don't you take your own God damn advice, Troy, and start the hell over!" Gabriella yelled, gasping for air as she felt the lump of tears swelling behind her eyes start to push forward. "Stop dwelling on who has more or less and just start living your life again."

"You have no idea."

"You're right," Gabriella said, shaking her head as she bit the inside of her cheek, hoping not to cry in front of him. "I have no _idea_." She took the wad of money in her fist and pushed it against Troy's chest. He stumbled back slightly, not reaching for the money as it fell between them.

Troy simply looked at Gabriella, trying not to react to the throbbing of the skin on his chest as it bruised.

"I can't believe you ruined this for us," Gabriella said, raising her hand to her face, trying to push back a sob that was starting to crush her throat. "You mean _everything_ to me."

Troy's features soften as he heard Gabriella's confession. Tears rolled down her face as she looked up at him, shaking her head in complete disbelief. He could feel his pulse in his throat, and then hear it in his ears, pounding and mixing with his thoughts.

"You're going to look back on this and realize that you were the one who was wrong," Gabriella said, taking a few steps away from him.

There was nothing else said as Gabriella made her way back up the beach. She let her dress drag in the sand, realizing that it would only bring bad memories back to her, so she'd have to get rid of it anyway. Ben and Suzanne were back in their parking spot, their faces shadowed by the odd lighting of the lamppost. Gabriella pulled the backseat door open and sat down, slamming the door shut.

"So?" Suzanne asked.

"We're over," Gabriella told her, biting the inside of her cheek to hold back her tears. Ben and Suzanne exchanged a look and Ben pulled out his wallet, opening it and sifting through it for a quick second. He pulled out a wrinkled tissue and handed it over to Gabriella. Gabriella took it and sent him a soft thank you.

"Where to?" Suzanne asked.

"The airport. Take me to the airport," Gabriella answered.

"Hawaii?"

"Anywhere but here," Gabriella said, looking out the window. Her dress was sprinkled with water, leaving her looking like a purple Dalmatian, but she didn't care anymore. She didn't care about the house full of people wondering where she disappeared to. She didn't care about the fact that she was going to leave the state with the clothes on her back, and she sure as hell didn't care about the guy standing alone on the beach where they first met.

...

Troy sat in the lifeguard tower, watching the morning come and the rain pour onto the beach. The sand was being pelted with large rain drops, making the usually smooth surface indented. A stream of water fell from the roof of the tower and it dripped onto Troy's feet that hung over the edge of the look out.

Rocket could be seen, paddling in his stupid little row boat across the lake, his eyes on Troy with each stride that got him closer. The rain had started earlier that morning, first the lightening and thunder came, and then the rain. It was usually how it came in Michigan, only a slight warning before it crashed down on you and showed no mercy.

The yellow rain coat that covered Rocket was pooled with water, so when Rocket stood up, a waterfall of rainwater fell from the pouch made in his coat from sitting. Troy's friend didn't seem to mind much; he simply tossed the paddles onto land and pushed the boat into the sand. He jogged toward the tower, leaping into it when he was tired of the rain.

"Hey, man," Rocket said, breathing heavily as he sat down next to Troy. He noticed that the floating devices he had been storing up there were thrown all over the beach, deflated and limp looking. "What's going on? Your mom has been calling me all morning."

"Nothing, man," Troy answered, leaning back so that he could see the ceiling of the tower. The bucket he had washed out that night was catching water in the far left corner.

"There's no use in lying to me," Rocket told him, leaning back too and putting his hands behind his head.

Troy sighed, his jaw tight as he clenched his teeth together.

"I broke up with Gabriella."

Rocket shot up immediately, accidentally bumping his head on the ledge that held the counter up. He rubbed it after swearing for a few seconds straight and then looked over at Troy.

"Uh, you're kidding me, right?" Rocket asked. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not kidding."

Rocket didn't say anything for a few minutes. He kept his eyes straight ahead, looking out at the rough water of the lake. The rain bounced off of his legs, which hung over the edge of the floor.

"What did you do?" Rocket asked.

"What makes you think I did something?" Troy asked defensively.

"Because you would still be together if Gabriella did something, because you're freaking in love with her and would look past it," Rocket said.

Troy swallowed harshly, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. The wind picked up outside and his feet were blasted with the cold air. He rubbed his eyes, realizing how tired he was for staying up all night.

"Oh," Rocket said after a few more seconds of silence. "What did she do?"

"She gave my mom money."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Troy said, shaking his head. "Oh."

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**Only two chapters left! REVIEW!**

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	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, Everyone! This is the second to last chapter and it's kind of an epilogue chapter, along with the next one, but I think eveyone will like it. Be sure to read everything! You don't want to miss any details/background info! Thank you all so much for the reviews! It means a lot! Enjoy!**

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Everything to Me

Chapter seventeen

As quickly as the trees changed colors, winter came, hitting Boyne City with snow that they could only get rid of with huge machinery. Most businesses were closed for the winter, only the ones that catered to the snowboarders and skiers stayed open. As quickly as winter came, flowers poked up through the ground for spring after everything defrosted. People were starting to get their summer homes back in order and many were getting ready for the flood of people that would be around for the summer.

"Troy, we have a meeting in six."

Troy looked away from the large glass window in his office when he heard his secretary from the open door across from him. Her blonde hair was curled and she had a stack of files held in her arms, looking anxious to get them put away.

"Thanks, I'll be there in a few," Troy answered. His silk purple tie felt tight around his neck as he lifted his feet away from his desk and sat straight in his chair. The sun poured in through the window, making the arms of his leather chair hot.

People rushed back and forth past his office door, while only a few people bothered him. His secretary and boss were the few who could peel his mind away from the scenery of the streets below him.

His email was pulled up on his computer screen and his inbox had no unread messages to read. When he minimized it, his background could be seen, revealing to him the picture he took of the lake from the lifeguard tower the summer before. Most of the time, he found himself staring at it since it was the view he saw almost everyday up until he got his new permanent job.

With another reminder from his secretary, Troy pulled himself out of his office chair and made his way toward the conference room. He buttoned his suit jacket so that he looked more presentable, and he barely noticed the way the women at his work whispered about him as he walked by.

Just as quickly as the meeting went by, summer came and went, fall sprinkled the ground with rusted colored leaves and winter hit Michigan with one of the worst snowfalls of the century.

...

Gabriella pressed her cell phone against her ear as she yanked her luggage off of the conveyer belt at the airport. Her flight had been delayed four times before she finally was able to get a plane ride home to see her parents after more than an entire year of being away from home. Her hair was long, curled, and sprayed with hairspray so that the dry winter air wouldn't make it staticy. She never had to worry about _that_ in Hawaii.

Her skin tight jeans were tucked into a pair of brown leather boots and she had a white winter coat tied tightly around her. She dragged her luggage through the airport, rejecting the many offers she got to get help with her luggage. After too many years to count, she was finally doing everything herself. There were no parents telling her what to do in Hawaii or telling her where to work. She got an interview at a law firm that was smaller than her own bedroom, and she bought a house that was smaller than that small law firm. Not once did she complain about having too little or too much. She simply lived her life the way she wanted to.

The outside of the airport was packed with people trying to finally escape to home where they didn't have to worry about delayed flights and lost luggage. Families loaded trunks full of suitcases and Gabriella weaved past them, pulling out a rental car key that she picked up after she got off of the plane. A snowplow drove past her, its yellow lights flashing as it chucked mountains of snow onto curbs with ease.

Pressing the unlock button on her set of keys, Gabriella neared the silver car that currently belonged to her. She tossed the luggage in the passenger's seat and pulled away from the airport once she was settled in the driver's side.

Her phone rang once she was on the expressway, and she put it on speaker phone, holding the steering wheel with two hands. Her finger tips were cold, making her turn up the heat.

"Hello?"

"Gabriella! It's Mom."

"I just got out of the airport. I'm on the expressway," Gabriella said, turning her blinker on so that she could switch lanes.

"I was just calling to tell you to be careful. Your dad is stuck at work for a few hours until they plow the streets. He said it was getting bad out," Mrs. Montez said.

"Okay, well, I should probably get off the phone with you so that I can concentrate," Gabriella answered. "I'll see you in a little."  
"See you, love you!"

Gabriella pressed the off button on her phone, keeping her eyes on the road as she turned her windshield wipers on, pushing away the snow that was starting to fall. There was a car driving a good distance away from her, and when she glanced into her rearview mirror, she noticed that no one was driving behind her.

"Great," she mumbled to herself. "I'm the only idiot on the road."

The radio was stuck on a station that was playing weird techno music and Gabriella reached to turn it down, cursing when her car swerved into the lane to her right. Pressing on the breaks, Gabriella only caused the car to complete its 360 turn into the side of the road.

The radio started to crackle and spit with static and Gabriella harshly pressed on the power button, hearing the obnoxious instruments stop. The windshield was covered with snow, darkening the car. When she put her car in reverse, she could see snow shooting up from the ground in her side mirrors, digging her deeper into the snow.

Her heart beat quickly as she unbuckled her seat belt, leaning over to open the glove box. A stack of brochures tumbled out of the glove box, sliding onto her suitcase. She grabbed the colorful pieces of paper and flipped through them, stopping when she found a flyer for a tow truck company. Her phone rested in her lap, where she put it after talking to her mom, and she quickly dialed the ten digit number.

"Hello!" A male's voice rang through the phone. Gabriella pulled it away from her ear, still hearing the answer echoing. "You've reached the Boyne tow truck rescue, how can I help you?"

"Uh," Gabriella shook her head, caught slightly off guard by the chipper mood the guy was in. "I just spun out on the expressway and am stuck in the snow."

"Are you hurt?" the guy asked.

"No, I'm fine."

"That's good news! I'm picking up your coordinates right now and I'll send a driver out to get you as soon as possible."

Gabriella nodded, forgetting that she should probably answer him verbally, but the voice on the other line was starting to seem familiar to her. She scratched her arm, feeling her jacket itch her skin.

"Would you like me to stay on the phone with you while you wait? I know it can get pretty scary out there alone."

Gabriella squinted, her forehead creasing in recognition.

"Rocket?"

"Yeah?" he asked causally, like he hadn't just picked up a call for a tow truck, just a personal call. "Oh. I mean, who is this?"

Gabriella laughed shortly, smiling to herself.

"This is Gabriella," she said. "Uh, Gabriella Montez from two summers ago."

"Gabriella Montez?" Rocket repeated, surprised. "What are you doing in Boyne City?"

"I'm visiting my parents," Gabriella answered.

"Where have you been?" Rocket asked.

"Hawaii," Gabriella said.

"Jeeze, I'm sure you just love the snow right about now," Rocket joked, laughing to himself.

"Ah, I shouldn't have expected anything more from winter in Boyne," Gabriella answered, laughing too.

There was a moment of silence before Rocket talked again.

"So, uh, how have you been? You okay?"

"I'm doing great," Gabriella answered, nodding to no one but herself again. "Happy."

"I'm happy to hear that," Rocket said. Gabriella squinted when a pair of headlights blinded her. The large white truck parked a few yards away from her, its headlights beaming onto her car.

"I think the tow truck is here already," Gabriella told him. "That was fast."

"Just remember that you're doing great," Rocket said.

"What?" Gabriella asked in confusion, laughing shortly.

"I'm getting another call! Talk to you later!" Rocket said cheerfully, hanging up.

Gabriella tried to say goodbye, but he was gone by the time she got the words out. She pressed the end button on her phone, rubbing her hands together to warm them up. The sound of the car door of the large tow truck slamming could be heard and Gabriella looked out her window to see a guy in a big winter coat and snow boots pulling a shovel out from the back. His breath could be seen in the air as he got closer, and his face was shadowed by the bright headlights.

Before Gabriella had the chance to open the door or roll down the window, the guy was already stabbing his shovel into the snow by the driver's side, starting to dig her out. The large hood of the winter coat prevented Gabriella from getting a clear look at the man and the snow on her roof was starting to fall against her side window, blocking her view.

After a good ten minutes, Gabriella jumped when she saw a gloved hand wiping away the snow on the window and then heard the crackling of the door being pulled open.

"Sorry that took a while, miss, you got yourself in pretty deep," the guy said. His hand was held out for her to take it and she hesitantly did, feeling the cold snow matted on his glove touch her skin. He pulled her out in one swift movement and in the process knocked his hood of.

When Gabriella looked up into the eyes of the guy holding onto her tightly so that she wouldn't fall back into her car, she knew exactly why Rocket had reacted the way he did when she told him the tow truck was already there to help her.

"Ah, shit," Troy said, his facial expressions changing quickly from thinking he was helping a stranger to finding out he was digging out his ex-girlfriend.

"My luggage," Gabriella said, not being able to think of anything else to say. "My luggage is in the car."

Troy let go of her hand once she took a few steps toward the road and he knelt into the car, heaving out the suitcase in the passenger's seat. He noticed the brochures spilt on the floor and the flyer to the tow truck company sitting in the cup holder. When he finally emerged from the car, Gabriella was looking slightly panicked as she stood on the pavement, her expensive looking boots dark with water.

"You have to sit in my car while I tow yours out," Troy said, holding the suitcase under his arm. "Is this it?"

"Yeah, that's the only one," Gabriella said, taking a few steps toward his car. Troy followed Gabriella to the car and put her suitcase in the backseat. He glanced at her as she stepped up into the truck, plopping down in the passenger's seat, starring out at her car.

Within forty five minutes, Troy had Gabriella's car hooked up to the back of his car and towed out of the snow. The damage to the front of the car made Gabriella's stomach churn when she saw it being secured to the back of the truck. In the rearview mirror, Gabriella could see Troy tying his snow shovel onto the back of the car and checking everything for a second time to make sure the car was securely attached to the truck. In other words, he was stalling.

The driver's side door opened, causing Gabriella to jump and Troy pulled himself up into the driver's seat, closing the door behind him. He put both hands onto the steering wheel, leaned back into his seat and let out a long, tired sigh. Gabriella kept her eyes on the beam of light the headlights were making.

"I'll take you home," Troy said, putting his car into drive. Gabriella nodded.

There was a miniscule crack in the window next to Gabriella, but it was enough to make her even colder than she already was as they drove quickly. Where Gabriella most likely would have spun out on ice with her car, Troy drove right by, barely bothered by the faltering weather conditions.

"So, uh," Gabriella started after a while, glancing over at Troy. "Is this job number five?"

The corner of Troy's lip facing Gabriella moved up in the slightest, barely there smile. The gloves Troy was wearing previously were sitting on the dashboard drying out, so Gabriella could tell when Troy was gripping the steering wheel excessively or not. When she asked him about this job, his hands loosened slightly.

"No," Troy said with a shake of his head. He switched lanes without using his turn signal. No one was on the road anyway. "Just a weekend job."

"Oh," Gabriella said with a nod. She noticed that the radio wasn't turned on, which immediately explained why she thought it was _so_ quiet. She wondered if he noticed.

"What brings you back here?" Troy asked. He strained his neck slightly to look in his rearview mirror, but looked back at the road after.

"My parents wanted me to visit. I figured since Christmas time is just around the corner, I'd take some time off to come here," Gabriella answered. Her feet were slightly damp, but the blasting heat was starting to dry them.

"Where are you coming in from?" Troy asked. He merged off of the expressway and Gabriella started to recognize home.

"Hawaii," Gabriella answered. Troy raised his eyebrows.

"It's warm there," Troy commented. Gabriella laughed shortly, nodding.

"Yeah, it is. All of the time."

Troy nodded too, not asking anymore questions after that. They made a right and then a left, weaving down barely plowed subdivisions and streets. Gabriella knew that if she had tried driving home in her rental, she would have gotten stuck again. When they turned on December Street, Gabriella felt her pulse in her throat.

Troy drove casually down the street, his elbow perched up on the driver's side door as he rested his head against his hand. His other hand was loosely holding onto the steering wheel and even though his arm was cold pressing up against the window, he didn't move it.

"Is Mr. Silverman moving?" he heard Gabriella asked. He looked up, seeing the For Sale sign that had been in the front yard of Mr. Silverman's house for a while now.

"Mr. Silverman passed away a few months ago. Heart attack," Troy answered.

Gabriella's hand covered her mouth as she looked at the empty porch that was covered with at least a foot of snow. The rocking chair was stuck in the snow, unattended to and unoccupied.

"I'm so sorry," Gabriella said, sad to hear about Troy's neighbor.

"Me too," Troy said.

His jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth together, stopping at the stop sign at the corner of the town. The lake was frozen over and Gabriella looked out as far as she could, seeing the snow covered lifeguard tower. Everything looked a million times different to Gabriella since the last time she was in Boyne City. Now, everything was frozen and still, everyone tucked into their houses or away in their vacation home.

Troy made his way toward Gabriella's house, moving up the hill to her street with ease. Gabriella eyed her house, somewhat worried. The porch lights were on and the snow sparkled underneath the light. She was starting to wonder if her parents would give her a hard time about leaving with no warning and only coming back now.

Troy pulled up into her driveway, parking the car before looking over at her.

"You can come in if you want to," Gabriella said.

She expected him to say no, that's why she nicely asked him to come inside with her, so when he nodded and said he would, she was caught off guard. He was out of the car before she was, closing the door with a bang and waiting at the sidewalk leading up to the porch for her. Gabriella tugged out her suitcase from the backseat and hoped out onto the driveway, her boots covered up to her ankles.

Troy took her suitcase once she was at the sidewalk, since she was struggling to get it there in the first place. He picked it up with ease, walking over to the front door. She wondered what had changed about him. She wondered how he could so calmly walk right up to her front door and ring the doorbell the way he did.

"Honey, she's home!" Gabriella heard her mom through the door yelling to her dad that their daughter was home. She glanced over at Troy when the doorknob turned, seeing him only fidgeting with the suitcase briefly.

"Gabriella! We've missed you so much," Mrs. Montez exclaimed pulling Gabriella into a huge hug. She was in her slippers, but she didn't seem to mind standing in the snow with her daughter. Mr. Montez hugged her too, squishing his family into a group hug.

"Come in, come in," Mrs. Montez said, leading Gabriella into the house.

"Uh, Mom, Dad, this is…"

"Troy! You too, come on in," Mr. Montez said, waving him inside. He took the suitcase from Troy, setting it by the stairs.

Troy closed the door behind the family, knocking the snow off of his feet on the welcome mat. The house was warm, instantly warming Gabriella and Troy's skin. Mr. and Mrs. Montez were both talking at once as they helped each of them take their coats off, but Gabriella kept her eyes on Troy, silently willing him to explain himself, but he said nothing as he handed his coat over to Mr. Montez.

In his grey long sleeved shirt that had three buttons on the top, two of which were unbuttoned, Gabriella could tell that not only did Troy cut his hair somewhat shorter, but he gained about ten pounds in pure muscle. His blue eyes glanced over her before going back to looking at Mr. Montez who was now talking.

"Gabriella, really, if you hated the food so much at the party, you could have just went to McDonalds, not Hawaii," Mr. Montez joked, giving his daughter a side hug as the group walked toward the kitchen.

"Oh, you know me, Dad. Always looking for an adventure," Gabriella said, forcing a smile as her mom grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet in the kitchen and while her dad grabbed four wine glasses.

Mr. Montez handed Troy and Gabriella a glass of white wine. Gabriella took a sip, Troy looked at it.

"So, Troy, how have you been since we talked last?" Mr. Montez asked, putting the cork back in the bottle of wine.

"Good," Troy said with a nod. "One of your clients called us a few days ago and is thinking about doing business with us. Thanks for referring him."

"Ah, it was the least we could do after your help," Mr. Montez replied.

Gabriella knew that if she was looking in a mirror at herself, she'd laugh at the completely confused expression that would be etched in her face. She looked at her parents, and then at Troy, shaking her head for a second.

"What did you help him with?" Gabriella asked.

"Your dad had a few questions about some business transactions at work and I helped him get some stuff settled," Troy answered. He took a long drink of the wine in the circular glass.

"How'd you know to go to Troy?" Gabriella asked casually, looking over at her dad.

"I didn't really. I was at the bar one day and this guy just budded right into my conversation with a partner of mine, and before I knew it, I had everything figure out," Mr. Montez said. "He's a smart guy, this one."

Gabriella's eyebrows creased together as she watched her father tip his glass to Troy, smiling like they had some kind of strong bond.

"I'm sorry," Gabriella said suddenly, shaking her head. "But what has gotten into you?"

Mr. and Mrs. Montez laughed, both of them hysterical as if the question was just _so_ funny. Troy looked into his wine glass, seeming extremely uncomfortable as he stood with his free hand in his jean pocket.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mrs. Montez laughed. "We're really just happy to see you."

"Do you guys not know who that is?" Gabriella asked, pointing to Troy. Troy shook his head subtly, sending her a look. Mr. and Mrs. Montez laughed again, shaking their heads at their daughter.

"Of course! That's Troy!" Mr. Montez said.

Gabriella grabbed the wine bottle from her dad's grasp and pulled the cork out, pouring wine into her glass until in was full. She took a gulp, looking pleadingly at Troy. He grinned as he took a sip of his own wine.

"We actually have to tell you something, in all seriousness," Mrs. Montez said. Troy looked up from his glass, waiting to hear what they had to say.

"We came into some money recently," Mr. Montez smiled, winking at Troy, who must have known where the money came from, Gabriella assumed. "And we decided that we're going to move."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes.

"Move where?" she asked.

Her parents looked at each other, both of them grinning from ear to ear.

"Hawaii!" They exclaimed.

Gabriella looked over at Troy when she heard him choke. His wine was bubbly as the wine that he was about to swallow fell back into the glass. Her finger nails gripped against the counter and she set her glass down, feeling a panic attack emerging.

"Yaaayy," Gabriella said through gritted teeth, trying to smile.

"You know," Troy said as he set his wine glass on the smooth counter top. "I really should be going now. I have to get Gabriella's car off of my truck and meet some people…"

"Wait, you didn't tow Gabriella, did you?" Mr. Montez asked.

"Uh, yeah, I did, actually," Troy said with a nod.

Mrs. Montez laughed.

"That's just so ironic!" Mrs. Montez said.

"Oh, so ironic," Gabriella mumbled, frowning.

"You have to come visit soon, okay?" Mr. Montez said as they walked toward the door. Mrs. Montez linked her arm with Gabriella's smiling brightly.

"I will," Troy said with a nod.

"Are you drunk?" Gabriella whispered to her mom, leaning over so that no one else heard her. Mrs. Montez laughed loudly, shaking her head.

"No, I am not drunk."

Troy quickly excused himself again, leaving the three in the foyer, watching him leave. Gabriella looked seriously at both of her parents, deciding for herself, that yes, they were drunk.

"Something weird happened to you while I was gone," Gabriella said to both of her parents. "Like, you're scaring me."

"We're just happy," Mrs. Montez said, nodding seriously. "We're just happy that you're home."

Gabriella nodded, hearing the rattling of the chains that held her car to Troy's truck. She looked out the window, seeing that he was still there, his truck in the road as he let her car down gently onto the driveway.

"I'll be right back," Gabriella told them, grabbing her coat and throwing it over her shoulders as she opened the front door.

"We'll be in the kitchen," Mr. Montez called after her.

The cold air hit Gabriella's skin and sent shivers through her body. She had finally gotten warm, and now she was starting to get cold again as she trudged through the snow covered sidewalk.

Troy was holding down a lever that was causing the chains on the tow truck to wind up neatly by the time she was at the end of the driveway. He let go when he saw her, stopping the loud noise.

"Did you forget something in the car?" Troy asked her, peering into the windows.

"No, I got everything," Gabriella answered.

Troy nodded, pulling the lever down again so that the rest of the chain was wrapped up. Gabriella waited for him to finish before she said anything.

"When did you become buddy-buddy with my parents?" Gabriella asked, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

Troy shrugged, not seeming too bothered by the fact.

"A few months after you left," he answered. "I was at work and over heard your dad's conversation. Just how he told it."

"They have no idea?" Gabriella asked, feeling the shock of the night catching up with her.

"No, they have no idea," Troy answered. "Your mom actually tried getting me to go on a date with you. She said she'd fly me to Hawaii if that's what it took."

"How'd you get out of that?" Gabriella asked.

Troy shrugged.

"I told them that I'm married to an Australian volleyball player who's currently on tour with her sister who is a famous singer," he said.

"Wow," Gabriella said, sighing.

"Yeah," Troy nodded, starting to go around the front of the truck so that he could finally get going for the night. "I have to get going."

"Okay," Gabriella said with a short nod. "Thanks for getting me home."

"It's my job," Troy said, opening the driver's side door.

He got in and closed the door. Gabriella waited at the bottom of the driveway, expecting him to leave as quickly as he could. Instead, the passenger's side window rolled open. He leaned over the seat, looking out at her.

"Chad, Taylor and Sharpay are in town," he said, seeing a soft smile appear on her face from his spot in the car. "We're meeting at Irwin's Bar and Grill in an hour. If you already need to escape, you're welcome to come."

Gabriella could feel a sense of longing for the past start to creep into her mind.

"Okay," she said. "I'll see you there in an hour."

Troy nodded, letting the window close all of the way before pulling away from the curb and driving away. Gabriella waited at the bottom of the driveway until she couldn't see the truck any longer and she leaned up against her dented silver car, wondering if she'd show up or leave him waiting like he left her more than a year ago.

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**Like it? Review!**

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**unknownbyhim22**


	18. Chapter 18

**Ah! I'm off to a wedding and just remembered I had to update. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I was wearing heels while updating! I love all of you who read this story, every one of you who reviewed! I'm so happy that you guys liked this story! I don't know if I'll be writing another story, but I KNOW I have at least one more oneshot to post, so be sure to review, review, review one last time for one of my stories! Love you all and thanks! Enjoy!**

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Everything to Me

Chapter eighteen

The table full of friends sat laughing, as they passed around beers and exchanged stories. Troy, Chad, Rocket, Sharpay and Taylor were circled around a table at Irwin's Bar and Grill, all glad to be back together again to update each other on their lives. The windows of the bars were frosted from the harsh winter outside, but inside, everyone was warm and happy to be together. Troy had two empty seats on either side of him, and he glanced at the door, and then at his watch.

Troy only glanced away from the door for a minute when the eyes of his friends brightened with recognition. He glanced over at the door and saw Gabriella walking in, snow falling around her as she shook it from her coat.

"Gabriella, over here!" Sharpay said, waving at the familiar face. Gabriella instantly smiled when she saw the group, laughing when Sharpay and Taylor got up to hug her. The girls giggled as they crushed each other with their hugs.

Although Gabriella didn't know it, Troy's friends had blamed him for the break up, since they all couldn't grasp why helping with the bills was such a crime- definitely if it was done by someone who you were in love with. They were the ones who gave him grief after he broke up with Gabriella.

"You look great," Taylor told Gabriella, patting the chair that was sitting between her and Troy so that Gabriella would sit down. "Rocket said you've been in Hawaii? How is that?"

"Warm," Gabriella answered. The group laughed, all grumbling about the cold weather that had greeted them when they finally got into town. "No, it's great, really. It's different from this place, for sure."

"I bet," Chad said with a nod. "Hotter lifeguards?"

Gabriella genuinely laughed as Taylor gave her husband a whack. The group's smiles grew and Troy good heartedly caught the napkin that Chad threw at him.

"I guess you could say that," Gabriella replied.

The group "ohed" at her response and Chad threw another napkin at Troy, who threw it right back at him. As the conversation picked up, all of them tiptoeing around the Troy and Gabriella topic, the group was quieted by a new addition.

In the middle of hearing Sharpay's explanation about the difference between purple and periwinkle, Troy's eyes were covered by two, soft hands, a giggle escaping the lips of the person behind him. The group smiled, and Gabriella looked over at the girl telling Troy to guess who she was.

Gabriella had to admit, Troy having a girlfriend never came close to crossing her mind, so this girl, whose wavy, natural dirty blonde hair made her look like she stepped right off of the beach, surprised Gabriella. The group waved at her with huge smiles as she pulled her hands away from Troy's eyes.

When Troy turned around and his eyes lit up brighter than Gabriella ever saw them, Gabriella knew that this girl wasn't someone who meant nothing to him. He wrapped her up in his arms in a matter of seconds, lifting her off of the ground and spinning her around. She laughed as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and the group, minus Gabriella, awed.

"Don't worry," Taylor whispered to her, nudging Gabriella with her elbow.

"What?" Gabriella said. "I'm not," she whispered, shaking her head.

Taylor sent her a look that meant she didn't believe her and Gabriella looked back at Troy and the girl, hearing Troy exclaim how much he missed her.

"Hey, everyone!" The girl turned to the group once Troy finally let her go and she smiled, showing off her white teeth. "I'm sorry for interrupting."

"No need to be," Sharpay said. "Sit!"

The girl obeyed Sharpay, laughing as she sat down in the seat next to Troy that had remained empty until now. The smile that appeared on Troy's face when he first saw the girl was still there, just as big.

"I don't think I know you," the girl said to Gabriella, looking directly at her. Gabriella's heart quickly slightly when the girl's dark blue eyes twinkled in the bar lighting.

"Oh, I'm Gabriella," Gabriella said, holding out her hand to shake the girl's. The girl stuck her hand out, gripping Gabriella's while eyeing Troy. Gabriella looked down at the soft hand in her own and saw the large, very familiar looking engagement ring on the girl's finger.

"I thought you guys broke up," the girl said, dropping Gabriella's hand and looking right at Troy. Gabriella noticed how the rest of the people at the table sunk lower in their seats.

"Uh, we did," Troy said, glancing over at Gabriella.

"She looks so _uncomfortable_, you _ass_," the girl said.

Gabriella gasped as she looked between Troy and the new girl, hearing the quiet laughs from Troy's friends. Troy could only laugh as he looked at the angry girl who had so rudely called him out.

"Gabriella," Troy said, looking at Gabriella. Their eyes met and Gabriella wasn't sure how shocked she looked in the moment. Her racing heart told her she probably looked like a fool. "This is Theresa."

"Hi," Theresa smiled, grabbing Troy's beer and taking it for herself.

"My sister."

The whole table burst out laughing, including Theresa, and Gabriella's jaw dropped as she looked at the two people sitting next to each other, who were now starting to look a whole lot alike.

"You can hit him," Theresa told Gabriella. "I would."

"Maybe later," Gabriella said with a relieved laugh, shaking her head at him. He only shrugged, resting his arm over the back of her chair.

"You looked a little panicked over there, Gabriella," Chad said, winking at her.

"I'm sure I did," Gabriella said with a laugh. "I didn't know what was going on."

The group laughed again, leaving the teasing at that, and they eventually started talking about Theresa, and how graduating from med school and getting engaged on the same day felt like. The conversations eventually moved into talking about weddings and houses and kids, and the arm that Troy was resting on the back of Gabriella's chair seemed to be radiating heat right onto her neck, like a tiny little reminder of what once was.

"I'll be right back," Gabriella said when there was a lull in the conversation. "It's getting kind of hot in here."

The group let her go and she took the coat she hung up by the front door off of its hook and went outside, pulling it on as she walked. Her mind was being pulled into a million different directions as she leaned against the thick window of the bar. Her hands were shaking from either the cold, or from the panic attack she almost had a few hours ago.

The memory of the night she got on a plane and flew to Hawaii in nothing but her purple dress played in her head. She was trying to tell herself that she wasn't in love with Troy anymore and that she shouldn't be after the way he ended their relationship, but she couldn't accept it. Tears flooded her eyes as she thought of what to do next- go home or stay here as she faked being totally okay with seeing him again?

"You forgot that even though you can't see in, we can see out," she heard Troy say. She saw him walking over to her while pulling on his coat and then he gestured toward the window when she didn't seem to understand.

"Oh," Gabriella said, peering into the window after getting up from it. "Great, I'm sure everyone loved the view of me leaning up against that."

Troy grinned, shrugging as he walked a few steps further and leaned up against the brick wall of the building. Gabriella joined him, looking out at the road and the cars parked on the curb.

"What's up?" Troy asked.  
"I'm just thinking too hard," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. "It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing from in there."

Gabriella nodded, biting her lip as she leaned her head against the wall, looking up at the stars. Her breath could be seen in the air and the only part of her that was warm was her shoulder, which was pressed up against Troy's.

"It's really embarrassing, actually," Gabriella admitted.  
"I'd love to hear it," Troy said, making her smirk.

She nodded, turning her head so that she could look over at him.

"I, uh, thought Theresa was your girlfriend, or fiancée, or whatever, when she first came in," Gabriella told him.

"Gross," Troy replied, cringing slightly.

"Yeah," Gabriella whispered with a nod. "I was just, uh, surprised…"

"About what?" Troy asked.  
"About how sad I was to think that you found someone to spend the rest of your life with while I was in Hawaii running away from you," Gabriella answered.

Troy looked down at the ground, moving the snow on the sidewalk around with his feet. Gabriella sighed, wishing that she wasn't the first one of the two to admit their feelings. For all she knew, Troy did move on, just with someone who actually was his girlfriend.

"Why did you get a job in business, Troy?" Gabriella asked, hoping to get some kind of response from him while they stood out in the cold. Troy looked over at her, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Because a girl told me one night that I was everything to her," Troy answered. "That's all I ever wanted to be."

Gabriella felt her blinking speed increase, like she was trying to push back a year of emotions that were now being pulled to the surface. Troy sent her a shy smile.

"Listen, Gabriella. I messed up that night getting as upset as I did with you when you were only trying to help. You were right when you said I would realize that I was wrong."

"I guess we both made some big mistakes," Gabriella replied. "I mean, I moved to _Hawaii_ and didn't even give you the chance to bump into me."

"Why Hawaii, anyway?" Troy asked.

"It was the first place that popped into Suzanne's head," Gabriella said, laughing.

"Suzanne…"

"My new best friend," Gabriella told him.

"Wow," Troy said, looking impressed. "I guess we have a lot to tell each other."

"We should probably save that for another night, though," Gabriella said, pushing herself away from the brick wall. Troy followed and took a few steps toward the door of the bar.

"You're right," Troy said, nodding. He walked backwards as Gabriella walked forward. She stopped walking after a few steps and Troy stopped too.

"You know, if we're okay now, the least you can do is kiss me after all of this time," Gabriella said, smirking.

Troy didn't waste a second after hearing Gabriella's comment, and he quickly kissed her, pulling her close to him. Gabriella wrapped her arms around his waist, his winter coat over her arms, warming them. They pulled apart only when they heard banging against the window of the bar, and they laughed as they realized again that the window was not in fact, making them invisible.

"Never alone," Troy said with a sigh, kissing her quickly again as she laughed. She grabbed his hand, pulling him back into the bar where they'd only begin to start over.

* * *

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**unknownbyhim22**


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